It was tantrum-time for Daniel Negreanu this week as he exited the $250,000 buy-in Super High Roller at the World Series of Poker. After busting out to David Peters, Daniel slammed his vlogging gear into the table then threw his camera and stand at the wall…
“I think he lost” 😂 pic.twitter.com/hfJGz0O4iu
— 🃏 David Lappin 🃏 (@dklappin) June 25, 2022
With his every action under intense scrutiny, Daniel’s reaction seemed perfectly normal to some, but violent and offensive to others, with poker Twitter soon taking sides in the debate.
Patrick Leonard was on DNegs’ side, whereas Justin Bonomo described Daniel’s actions as “pathetic” and indicative of a deeper problem…
An accomplished successful pro throwing a pathetic temper tantrum in public after losing a standard 70/30 is relatable and refreshing?
Honestly if you see yourself in this, you probably have temper issues and should maybe try anger management
— Bonologic (@JustinBonomo) June 25, 2022
Many poker fans seemed to be of the opinion that Daniel’s outburst was less of a problem than, say, Phil Hellmuth’s typical “Poker Brat” behaviour, which is often directed specifically at another player.
PokerSasha wrote: “Justin I generally agree with your takes but @RealKidPoker didn’t take it out on anyone. Let’s not police how people take their bad beats (without taking it out on others) or how to react when winning a bracelets please!”
Daniel himself discussed his antics on his daily vlog, claiming that those offended by them are “virtue signalling” and likening his camera throwing to sports stars reacting to misses or mistakes.
“Have you ever watched sports in your life? One time? Have you never seen Tiger Woods miss a shot and his club hit the ground?” asked Daniel, adding football helmet throwing, tennis racquet smashing and various other frustrated reactions.
Bonomo, meanwhile, ran a poll or two to see what others thought about Negreanu’s behaviour…
Why aren’t there more women in poker?
Maybe it’s because 36% of (mostly male) poker players don’t give one single fuck about what makes 50% of women feel unsafe 🧐 pic.twitter.com/pN6Qf74h6V
— Bonologic (@JustinBonomo) June 26, 2022
Liv Boeree took the other side, describing Bonomo’s tweet as “vapid threat inflation” that is “infantilising and regressive to the perception of women in poker”.
David Peters, the man who ended DNegs’ SHR dreams, tweeted sarcastically: “Just wanted to say that the DNegs situation made me feel very unsafe. Maybe next time he grabs me by my turtleneck and it’s my head that’s going into the wall? It’s a slippery slope and you never know.”
Of course, it’s far from being Negreanu’s first outburst, a famous video of him losing the plot while having software issues during the 2020 online WSOP.
Negreanu also went off on one against a troll who had been badmouthing his wife, Amanda.
“Hey, Tom Estrada, go fuck yourself, you piece of shit. Block that cock motherfucking piece of shit. Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you in your ass. How about that?”
“Okay, Tom Estrada, fuck you in your ass. Eat some of that, you piece of shit. Come fucking step to me and say that and I will knock you the fuck out. How about that?”
The one-two combo earned him a one-month Twitter ban, but when poker commentator Norman Chad pulled him up publicly on twitter for his language, Daniel wasn’t a happy bunny.
“You don’t like it, I don’t give a fuck,” he told Chad. “I think I’ve made that clear. I don’t give a fuck what you think. At all. You’re not my fucking mentor, my life guru; I do not follow your rules of living.
He added: “You do you, you can say whatever the fuck you want to me. I’m not going to listen to you, you dumb fuck. Enough! Move on to bigger and better things.”
What do you think of Daniel’s outburst? A normal response to losing or way out of line? Let us know on social media!
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