In the fourteenth installment of his WSOP 2026 Vlog, Daniel Negreanu shifts gears. After high roller events, he finds himself in a completely different setting: first in the Monster Stack, then in a $500 freezeout among recreational players, and finally in the $10K Dealer’s Choice, where a whole new challenge awaits.
The day starts calmly but with a clear tournament purpose. Daniel bids farewell to his dogs, checks Rocky's health, and explains that Amanda has a relaxing school-free Sunday while he has to go play. In the car, he discusses the schedule, which wasn't initially supposed to revolve around the Monster Stack. This tournament wasn't on his radar, but realizing the massive field of over 10,000 entries offered a big fantasy bonus, his decision shifted. Having drafted himself, he feels he has to “work for the team.”
The fantasy context is crucial in this vlog. Negreanu explains that side bets involve hefty six-figure sums, and their team is struggling because one key player can't participate. Others are practically playing shorthanded, so Daniel and Josh Arieh have to chase points even where they normally wouldn’t play. Monster Stack wasn’t chosen for prestige or ideal structure; it’s a work obligation, an attempt to snag a 100-point field bonus and keep the team in the game.
Upon arriving at the casino, he meets Josh Arieh, and they discuss the need to “score shorthanded goals,” given their weakened lineup. Daniel mentions the new broadcast deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, coverage beyond the USA, Eurosport, TNT Sports, HBO Max, and efforts to bring poker back to the mainstream.
Returning to Horseshoe and a Quick Exit in the Monster Stack
The Monster Stack takes him to Horseshoe, where he hasn’t played much this year. Daniel notes the nostalgia of the room, recalling the old days and the big names on the walls, from Bobby Baldwin to Doyle Brunson. It’s a short but strong contrast to the modern WSOP setup in Paris. On one side, the high roller style and new production; on the other, the Horseshoe atmosphere, where the World Series still feels more historical. Yet, the game itself allows little room for nostalgia.
Right from the start, he faces a test; with A s Q h, he goes all-in against T c T d, and the board doesn’t help, ending his first buy-in. The series continues with a jam with ace-queen against the cut-off, which he considers standard, as well as another spot with ace-five against eights, still deemed acceptable. The result is clear: Monster Stack is behind him, and next on the agenda is the $500 freezeout. Paradoxically, he seems most excited about this. After expensive high roller buy-ins, a quick tournament with 30-minute levels brings a different energy. Less calculating, more immediate action, and a return to the regular players.
Into the Trenches
Before the $500 freezeout starts, Daniel grabs a quick bite in the break room and then comes one of the vlog’s best scenes: finding the Normandy room. Daniel thinks he's heading to a known part of Horseshoe, but employees direct him “upstairs.” Never having been there, he asks for directions, goes through the casino, past an out-of-service escalator, and discovers another tournament room. His reaction captures the magnitude of today’s WSOP: once a single room in Binion’s, now multiple spaces, more tables, and endless poker.
The Normandy room instantly changes the vlog’s tone. Daniel finds himself among players who take photos, chat with him, ask for tips, enjoying the atmosphere. At the table, he gives small lessons, comments on sizings, explains why a full-pot bet on a dry board might not make sense, and acknowledges a player’s well-played hand, even when expecting a mistake.
Yet, the $500 freezeout brings a painful moment. Daniel holds A d J s, 3-bets preflop, and on the flop A s 8 c 3 d, faces a check-raise. Even then, he feels uncomfortable with the spot. The turn comes Q h, the opponent continues and Daniel calls, although his mind keeps signaling pocket eights. River brings another Q d, offering a chance to beat some ace-eight or ace-three combinations, but the opponent shoves his remaining chips, and despite reading the hand right, Daniel calls.
The opponent shows precisely pocket 8 s 8 d. Later, Daniel acknowledges it was so obvious it’s laughable. The call on the flop might make sense, but on the turn, he admits he should have folded and takes responsibility for the mistake. This moment is intriguing because it’s not about a bad beat or unfortunate runout. It’s about a situation where he had the right read, correctly identified the opponent’s hand, yet couldn’t find the fold.
After this bust, comes nap time. Daniel admits that smaller tournaments are mentally exhausting in a way that differs from high rollers. Constant photos, conversations, players in hands, interactions, and social energy take a lot of mental capacity. It’s an interesting detail because from the outside, a $500 event might seem like a break from $25K pressure. For Negreanu, it’s demanding precisely because he’s not just playing poker but also acting as a public figure among hundreds of fans.
Dealer’s Choice, Nightmare, and a Zero Comeback
After a quick nap and a third coffee, Daniel heads to the $10K Dealer’s Choice, the event he was most looking forward to. He wants to arrive early because, in this format, choosing games, especially PLO and variants that suit him, can be advantageous. However, the start is disastrous. He doesn’t win a pot, doesn’t get the chance to select his own game, and constantly encounters almost absurd opponent combinations. Two players hit very strong “nut-nut” combinations, which Daniel comments is rare to see even once, let alone back-to-back.
His stack quickly crumbles from 60,000 to around 13,000. Daniel can’t believe what he sees; when a similar scenario occurs for the third time, it turns almost comical. This event was supposed to be where, after a chaotic freezeout, he could use his mixed game skills. Instead, he loses every pot, doesn’t get a chance to dictate the game, and exits before the tournament even properly kicks off.
After another break, Daniel returns to play in the $2K no-limit hold’em. He immediately gets kings and goes all-in against ace-six of clubs. By this point, he already senses the day’s bad vibe. The opponent hits, and Daniel is left with crumbs of his stack, acknowledging that sometimes you just know it’s not your day. The vlog concludes with anticipation for the next day. Daniel knows he needs good rest, as a $50,000 event is on the schedule, where things get serious.
