Daniel Negreanu is coming in sizzling to the 2024 World Collection of Poker (WSOP), which kicks off Could 28, in the future after the annual $25k Fantasy Draft.
Talking of that draft, there can be quite a few fascinating storylines to comply with on Could 27, considered one of which includes the GGPoker ambassador. Extra particularly, the quantity groups can be keen to bid on him this yr in comparison with earlier years.
PokerNews can be on-site at PokerGO Studio to reside report the $25K Fantasy Draft.
Typical Excessive Bid on Poker Legend?
Within the $25k Fantasy Draft, every crew has $200 to spend bidding on a roster of eight gamers. All through the collection, gamers earn factors primarily based on efficiency (cashes, ultimate tables, and bracelet wins), and the crew that racks up probably the most factors wins the biggest chunk of the prize pool.
It’s crucial for these drafting to bid properly and get as a lot worth as doable for every choose. Negreanu and Shaun Deeb generate the very best bids every year because of the quantity they put in, and so they’re fairly dang good poker gamers, every with six bracelets.
With out query, each gamers will generate heavy curiosity from many groups within the fantasy draft once more this yr. However projecting Negreanu’s bid isn’t going to be as straightforward this yr for a couple of causes, of which we’ll talk about within the subsequent part.
How Will Fantasy Draft Groups Worth Daniel Negreanu?
Negreanu has posted two consecutive dropping summers for a complete of roughly $1.9 million. He hasn’t received a bracelet since 2013, and his final WSOP title in Las Vegas got here in 2008.
The Poker Corridor of Famer, who misplaced over $2 million in reside tournaments final yr, disclosed some deliberate modifications to his recreation at the beginning of the yr. One repair he’s been implementing is to play fewer occasions. And that technique has labored like a appeal and one might argue has been the driving power to what has already been a monster yr for considered one of poker’s all-time greats.
So far, he’s received two excessive rollers in 2024 and reached eight ultimate tables, and he’s completed that on a restricted schedule. So, on the floor, it might appear unlikely his fantasy draft bid wouldn’t drop beneath its traditional $100-$110 vary.
However there’s one other facet to this coin, and that’s his deliberate lighter WSOP schedule, which he introduced in February. That might make some crew house owners a bit hesitant to make use of half the crew’s funds on one participant who admits he isn’t going to focus as closely on WSOP Participant of the 12 months as he has been prior to now.
Is Deeb, who has gone for not less than $110 the previous two years, a greater worth particularly when factoring in Negreanu’s consecutive dropping summers? Ought to crew house owners keep away from each gamers altogether and allocate their funds elsewhere? These are some questions crew house owners must ponder.
Fantasy Draft Historical past
The $25k Fantasy Draft has been operating every summer time since 2011, apart from 2020 when the WSOP was canceled attributable to COVID. In whole, 12 gamers have been drafted every time. That checklist contains poker legends resembling Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Justin Bonomo, and Eli Elezra.
No participant in draft historical past has racked up extra factors — 2,007 — than Hellmuth, who holds quite a few WSOP data. The “Poker Brat” is not simply placing up longevity stats with regards to the fantasy draft. He is averaged incomes 167.25 fantasy league factors per WSOP since 2011, the very best for any participant to have been bid on not less than seven occasions. Negreanu, averaging 161.25 factors per summer time over 12 years, is in second place.
$25k Fantasy Draft All-Time Prime Level Earners
| PLAYER | OVERALL POINTS | YEARS DRAFTED | AVG. PTS/YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Hellmuth | 2007 | 12 | 167.25 |
| Daniel Negreanu | 1935 | 12 | 161.25 |
| Shaun Deeb | 1747 | 11 | 158.82 |
| Ben Yu | 1528 | 11 | 138.91 |
| John Monnette | 1499 | 12 | 124.92 |
That mentioned, the variety of bracelet occasions have elevated considerably in recent times, and the fantasy league scoring system has been tweaked, resulting in increased scores than again within the 2010s. In 2023, Crew DPMC received the 20-team league with Deeb because the crew’s highest scorer at 241 factors, which solely ranked eleventh out of 160 gamers drafted. Alex Livingston, who gave Crew Woman Gaga distinctive worth at $72, was the highest level earner at 353 factors.
The highest worth choose in draft historical past got here in 2022 when Crew Maria Ho chosen defending world champion Koray Aldemir for simply $2. Aldemir was good for a league-best 358 factors, which helped spark Maria Ho to victory and $200,000.
Final yr’s profitable crew, Crew DPMC, did not discover a steal like Aldemir. However the crew acquired sturdy performances from their low bids, together with 177 factors from Ian Steinman, a choose that price simply $1. Annually, the profitable crew has not less than a draft choose or two that prices little however gives nice worth, like Steinman and Aldemir. However many occasions, the normal powers resembling Negreanu and Deeb are value their excessive bid value.
The $25k Fantasy Draft takes place Could 27 on the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas.
Crew Maria Ho Wins 2022 WSOP $25k Fantasy Draft
