In the tenth episode of his WSOP 2026 Vlog, Daniel Negreanu enters Day 2 of the $1,500 Deuce-to-Seven Single Draw as one of the tournament's largest stacks. After tough days, he's finally in an event where he starts strong. But the bubble in mixed game format is never just a formality.
Thirty Years Since His First WSOP
The day begins with the familiar vlog routine: Negreanu wakes up after about six hours of sleep, showcases his morning outfit, deals with coffee and breakfast. He feels good, even though he typically functions best with eight hours. This time he has an interview, a short preparation, and then Day 2 in deuce-to-seven, where he enters as second on chips.
During a walk, someone asks him a simple question: when did he first come to the World Series of Poker? Daniel realizes it was in 1996, exactly thirty years ago. He recalls the times at Binion’s Horseshoe, the expensive buy-ins, satellites, and the first $200 Main Event satellite, where he busted just before qualifying with aces. The real breakthrough came in 1998 when he won a satellite, Todd Brunson handed him a $500 chip for entry, and young Negreanu jumped into his first official WSOP event. He had never played pot-limit hold’em before, but he won the tournament, kicking off a career that, three decades later, still plays out at the heart of the World Series.
Lesson in Deuce-to-Seven: Knowing the Rules Isn't Enough
Before returning to the casino, Daniel takes time for a detailed strategic session on Deuce-to-Seven Single Draw. He explains that at first glance, it's a simple game: five cards, no board, two betting rounds, and one draw. Yet, this simplicity is deceptive. Without the flop, turn, and river, players have fewer visible cues, making live reads and understanding which hands can bluff effectively much more crucial. Older players with a knack for reading opponents enjoy this format because decisions often rely on approximating the person across, not just mathematical analysis.
Negreanu also shows that the game has a very concrete theoretical layer. He discusses “snowing,” a situation where a player stays pat and represents a strong made hand, while actually bluffing. He gives examples like full house or paired combinations, which block the cards needed for the opponent to form a good low. Holding cards that the opponent needs reduces their chance to hit after the draw, making snowing very effective. Daniel emphasizes that bluffing doesn’t have to be random but can stem from the structure of your own hand.
ESPN, Phil Hellmuth, and Day Two with a Big Stack
Before the day starts, there’s an interview for ESPN, and Daniel happily admits he's glad ESPN is back at the World Series of Poker. Clips from the corridors, interviews, and preparations give the vlog a sense that the WSOP is back on the big stage, both tournament-wise and in media presence. Phil Hellmuth also appears, fresh from a long sleep, ready to jump into Day 2. Negreanu teases him, discusses his stack, first hand, and the “easy pickings” at his table.
Daniel enters Day 2 in good shape. He holds 311,000, practically the second-largest stack, giving him plenty of room to play. However, he already mentioned that his sizing style in this format is more aggressive than many of his opponents. He doesn’t make small sizings just because others do; he prefers larger 3x openings and more significant post-draw bets. This is vital because when the cards are not coming, an aggressive approach can create pressure but also quickly increase swing variance. And that's precisely what begins to happen on the second day.
Daniel's Camera as a Psychological Weapon
Action picks up quickly at the table. Negreanu finds himself in a big spot with a wheel draw facing made hands and another draw. During the all-in, the play is face up, the atmosphere relaxed, players comment on the cards, and Daniel tries to film with one hand, squeeze, and survive a tournament situation. When he hits the needed card and wins, his typical energy immediately returns. He jokes that it was all about skill, reminding opponents that if another draw had beaten them, it would have looked completely different.
Later, the tide turns. Daniel admits the first levels of the second day aren't going well. The previous day, according to him, he almost hit everything, but now the second-best hands, bad spots, and minimal opportunities prevail. With 45 players left and 30 paying places, his stack drops to around 82,000. In one crucial spot, an opponent opens from early position, Daniel holds 8-8-5-5-6 on the SB, a typical snowing hand, and 3-bets to 41,000. He stays pat, the opponent draws one card, and Daniel makes a big post-draw bet.
However, the opponent calls after a long tank. Daniel finds it unfortunate because, from his perspective, it’s a spot where the opponent often misses or folds some borderline combinations. Moreover, the response seemed that the call wasn’t easy. The outcome is clear: the snow didn’t pass, and Negreanu enters a zone where he no longer has the luxury of a big stack. From the position of one of the leaders, he shifts to a regime where every blind must be fought for.
“This Year We Don't Want Min-Cashes”
One of the most crucial lines of the episode comes when the tournament nears the money. Negreanu speaks candidly: this year, he’s not aiming for min-cashes. He doesn’t want to just survive the bubble, drag a short stack into money, and celebrate ITM. He wants to play for wins. If he busts on the bubble, it won't be a shame but part of the approach he set for the summer.
With about 16 big blinds and five players away from the money, he still avoids going extremely tight. At the table, he converses with players, asking if they would just try to sneak into the money, and from his tone, it’s clear that such a plan doesn't suit him. Yet, the bubble in deuce-to-seven has its logic. Surrounding stacks are small, some players are experiencing incredible spots, and even the smallest decision can have a significant financial impact. While Daniel talks about playing to win, he also keenly perceives that every pot could be his last.
At the direct bubble, with around 10bb, he watches Alex Foxen endure an absurd situation with an even smaller stack. According to Daniel, he’s the tournament's smallest stack, yet he gets all-in, makes a pat wheel, and doubles up. The bubble stretches until the dinner break, and Daniel walks away with 73,000, which will be about seven blinds upon return.
After the break, Daniel is practically teetering, occasionally with one blind, and typical mixed game chaos ensues at the table. Players limp, raise, draw, change pat decisions, with Negreanu commenting almost every move in a style that combines poker pro and stand-up commentator. After a few hands, he gets back to about seven big blinds and, along with Alex, survives the journey to the money.
At that point, the tone changes. “Now, let's gamble,” is the main point after the bubble bursts. Not like before when there was still pressure to survive, but now without the brakes of min-cash certainty. Daniel has cashed, the WSOP summer balance is open, and now he can play more freely.
The final spot comes against an opponent who opens from UTG and takes one card. Daniel stays pat with 9-8-5-4-3, a playable but vulnerable hand. The opponent hits 9-8-5-4-2, practically the same hand but with a better kicker, ending Daniel's run in 20th place. It's a harsh way out, as he was just two positions from the next pay jump at 18th. Yet, after everything that unfolded on the bubble, he acknowledges he was also quite lucky to cash in at all.
No Celebration and a Quick Look Ahead
After busting, he evaluates the day quite realistically. He regrets the 20th place and the missed pay jump opportunity, but also recognizes that given the bubble's developments and the number of survived all-ins, there's no need to dramatize the outcome. The WSOP account is open, the first cash is on the Hendon Mob, and it's time to move on. This is a significant contrast to the painful defeat in the $25K Heads-Up where he had control, and the river took away his chance for a big result. Here he busted but felt he squeezed the most out of a complicated situation.
Practically, he already thinks about the next day. Golf is on the table, maybe some relaxation, and then the $25K Event Day 1B, which he can enter without undue pressure. Once again, Negreanu shows that his WSOP summer isn’t about one result but a series of decisions and returns for another chance. Day 10 stands as further proof that Daniel Negreanu knows how to turn an ordinary tournament day into a story with tension all the way to the final card.
