They say superstitions are just a series of coincidences but, when something impedes time and again in achieving one’s goal, it strikes our mind. Although poker is a game of skill with zillions of logic involved, we as humans tend to assume certain incidents or figures as a boon or a bane. And, when such incidents associate with the world #1 player, Daniel Negreanu, it certainly becomes the talk of the P-Town.
Negreanu finished in the 11th position of the 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event when Joe McKeehen hit an Ace-high straight on the river against him. The poker world went crazy over the end of Negreanu’s Main Event run just 2 short of this year’s November Nine. Thousands of tweets, posts and articles started floating over the social media and web world. Thousands of poker fans across the globe were disappointed at their hero’s fall inches before the finish line.
When the dust settled and November Nine was set at the Amazon Poker Room of Rio, we at OPN India revisited the pages of WSOP history and found an unusual pattern. Most of us might know that Negreanu had finished in the 11th place of the WSOP Main Event back in 2001 missing the final table by 2 places. There was no November Nine in 2001 as the concept was introduced in 2008.
When we flipped through more pages of WSOP history, we found 3 more events in which “Kidpoker” had finished in 11th place. Adding all, Daniel Negreanu has missed the final table of 5 WSOP events by finishing in 11th place. In 2002, he finished 11th in the Event #20: $2,500 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo for $4,060. In 2008, he finished in 11th place of the Event #14: $10,000 World Championship Seven Card Stud for $33,417. Again, in 2010, he finished in the 11th place of the Event #52: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em / Six Handed taking home $77,569.
The number 11 again appeared in Daniel’s money finish position in 2011 when he finished 211th in the Event #58: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Championship (Main Event).
We at OPN India do not believe in or promote superstitions like this trail of number 11 in the winning records of Daniel Negreanu. It came as a surprising reoccurrence of an incident in the history book of the WSOP. “Kidpoker” will definitely rise above such figures to clinch that missing Main Event bracelet in his list of accolades.
Here is the trail of number 11 in Negreanu’s WSOP records:
| 2001 32nd Annual World Series of Poker World Championship – No Limit Hold’em (Event 27) $10,000 buy-in | 5/14/2001 | 11th | $63,940 |
| 2002 33rd Annual World Series of Poker Limit Omaha Hi/Lo (Event 20) $2,500 buy-in | 5/7/2002 | 11th | $4,060 |
| 2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker World Championship Seven Card Stud (Event 14) $10,000 buy-in | 6/7/2008 | 11th | $33,417 |
| 2010 41st Annual World Series of Poker Event #52: No-Limit Hold’em / Six Handed $25,000 buy-in | 6/30/2010 | 11th | $77,569 |
| 2011 42nd Annual World Series of Poker Event #58: No-Limit Hold’em Championship $10,000 buy-in | 7/7/2011 | 211st | $47,107 |
| 2015 46th Annual World Series of PokerEvent #68: No-Limit Hold’em Main Event $10,000 buy-in | 7/5/2015 | 11th | $526,778 |