Daniel Negreanu Doesn't Put it Lightly

Recent WSOP champs Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker and Jamie Gold "can't play" poker, "got lucky" and are "flash-in-the-pan types," said Daniel Negreanu, the all-time WPT money winner (who will be a ridiculous looking bald man later today), in a recent chat with the Las Vegas Sun's Jeff Haney.

Negreanu was asked by Haney to comment on the recent success of Joe Hachem, the 2005 WSOP champ who impressively took home the $2.1 million first place cash at the WPT Five Diamond Something Whatever Tournament this past December.

Choosing to pay Hachem a compliment by ripping other recent Main Event winners, Negreanu said:

"Actually the (recent) World Series of Poker winners in general, you look at them and you're like, OK, (Chris) Moneymaker, (Greg) Raymer and (Jamie) Gold, you think, OK these guys can't play, and the general consensus is that these guys got lucky."

"But, you know, with Joe, he actually plays like a pro. The other three don't. The other three are kind of like flash-in-the-pan types for the most part. But (Hachem), he's a real legit player."

We're too tired to tell you our opinion right now but quickly: (1) How the hell did he not throw Robert Varkonyi in that group, or was all that just a bad dream?; (2) Agreed on Moneymaker, who we like to refer to as the Chumbawamba of poker around here; (3) With regards to Raymer, didn't he follow up his Main Event win with an amazing 25th place finish out of more than 5,600 players a year later? No big WPT win or final table though, so far; (4) As for Gold, way too early to tell as the Main Event was the first major tournament he's ever played, although he's fared well in the smaller LA events the past few years, for what that's worth (about $101k to be exact); and (5) Seriously, no mention of Varkonyi?

For the full article, go here.

For a bit on the online feud between Negreanu and Raymer, go here.

For stupidly spectacular/totally unrelated photos of Brooke Burke on the beach in a bikini, go here.

For your thoughts on any of the above, post a comment.

Comments

[Kid Dynamite]

look, Raymer got wicked lucky when he won the main event - you have to of course, but he can play. He's been a respected Lord of the Nits on 2+2 for a long time.

Hachem can also play, but I think he's a bit nittier than Raymer. No one takes bad beats like Joe Hachem.. Brutal.

Gold, i think, is a joke - but he really talked a great game and confused the FUCK out of his opponents - and that's a huge part of the game.

Moneymaker? an amateur who found the right spots - but even he made some well timed plays...

It's very hard to win the main event if you are a completely horrible poker player.

[snake]

not sure. I (un)fortunately don't spend too much time on the forums.

[Drizztdj]

Is Raymer vs. Kid Poker becoming a 2+2 vs. Full Contact Poker feud?

[Bull]

Those guys should learn to play like a pro and rebuy 27 times (or something like that) into a $1000 NL game. Kid poker is great (or maybe...very good), but calling Raymer lucky sounds like sour grapes. Anyway, nice pics of BB in a bikini.