Poker Pro Daniel Negreanu Back in Canada
With the US online poker industry in turmoil, many top players have decided to up and leave, relocating to areas around the world, with Canada being a popular destination due to its proximity to "home" and similar lifestyles.
Daniel Negreanu, the professional Canadian poker player, who has lived in the US for many years, is reportedly back on home turf after returning to Canada.
Negreanu has settled for now in Toronto and is getting back into online poker via Poker Stars.
Poker analysts believe that Negreanu's return could boost the local industry. "With Full Tilt Poker swamped by controversy and heartfelt contempt, Negreanu's return to Canada and Poker Stars has boosted players' confidence in the industry," noted one expert from Canadian Poker. "With Negreanu back home, online poker players in Canada are feeling like we're back on centre stage. Many big names are looking come here to keep playing online poker, and with that kind of attention comes the potential for a lot of benefits for players in Canada."
Daniel Negreanu has won four World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour Championship titles. He is ranked second in the all time career earnings list.
The first time that Negreanu finished in the money in a WSOP event was also the first time he won a bracelet, after grabbing the $2,000 Pot Limit Hold 'em event and $169,460 in winnings. He became the youngest WSOP bracelet winner in history and held that record from 1998 until 2004.
Big Brands May Seek Canadian Poker Players
While Canadian poker players may still be signing up with Poker Stars, the same analyst believes that many will be "looking to play somewhere with no connection to this year's legal issues".
As such, a reality may be that big poker brands will begin looking to sponsor more Canadian players in a bid to attract more local players. For example, Kara Scott, the Canadian poker pro, is sponsored by Party Poker, while Tyler Bonkowski is sponsored by 888 Poker.
In the meantime, many players are still waiting for their funds to be released by Full Tilt Poker which still hasn't managed to find an investor and pay back over $100 million owed to its members.
