Everyone who is into poker knows Daniel Negreanu. He is my favorite player, not only because of his friendly and outgoing personality but also because of his poker results. 

So I am very excited that I have the chance to review Daniel Negreanu’s MasteClass and learn how a player of this caliber thinks at a poker table.

“It’s become like breathing for me, and essentially that’s where we want to get you with a lot of the concepts we’re going to share.”

One more thing. Bookokpoker is an independent blog. I don’t get paid for it. So, if you decide to get this course, please do it via the affiliate links on my website. I might get a small commission at no extra cost to you. It will help me to create more valuable content for you. That said, the quality of my review remains the same. My reviews are always honest and show the positives and negatives of the products. I leave it to the readers to decide which poker training, website, or book is best for them.

 

Who is Daniel Negreanu?

Daniel “Kid Poker” Negreanu is one of the most successful and admired professional poker players.

He has won two WPT championships and six World Series of Poker Bracelets.

He was also, for a very long time, the highest live tournament winner of all time, having won approximately $43 million in total prize money as of this writing. 

Additionally, Daniel:

• Was named Player of the Decade by the Global Poker Index (GPI). 
• Has been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame
• Is the first player in history to win the WSOP Player of the Year award more than once.

Negreanu is well-known for his friendly demeanor, healthy lifestyle, and meditation practice. 

However, what impresses me the most about “Kid Poker” is the ability to determine his opponents’ exact cards through logic, deduction, and an exceptional understanding of players’ psychology (PS. There is a video at the end of this post showing his reading skill).

Course Information 

Daniel Negreanu’s Masterclass is 7 hours and 40 minutes long. It includes 38 video lessons.

Additionally, there is a 122-page workbook breaking down the video content. It contains copies of diagrams seen in the videos and descriptions of the poker terms that might only be known to some.

Daniel Negreanu Masterclass Cost

The cost of the course is about $180 (depending on your location).

It is available with the annual Masterclass membership.

Together with the membership, you get access to Phil Ivey’s Masterclass and 180+ other classes taught by world-class specialists like Garry Kasparov, Serena Williams, Gordon Ramsay, Steph Curry, and many more.

Masterclass Platform

I have access to all the Masterclass courses, and I must admit that it’s fantastic! 

Before watching my first Masterclass, I thought, why would anyone pay for this if there is so much free content on Youtube? 

And the truth is you won’t find the best specialist in their fields like Williams, Ivey, or Kasparov giving free insides into their strategy and success.

The quality of the Masterclass courses is superior to any free content.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to all the classes, so watch the right one that interests you.

You can share the membership with your friends or family if it is too expensive. Or there is a 30-day refund option if you’re disappointed with your buy.

Interface – is it easy to use?

The interface is very user-friendly and easy to navigate. You get access to Masterclass mobile and TV apps. You can even download your lessons and watch them offline.

Course Content

Daniel doesn’t focus on one specific element of poker but instead gives an overview of Hold ’em as a whole, which makes this course different from other poker instruction alternatives.

His technical lessons cover all essential theories and strategies, followed by a video study in which Negreanu narrates footage of games he’s participated in and discusses what you can learn from them.

Understanding Position

Enhance your game by playing the correct cards in the proper position. 

• Out of Position = Defense; In Position = Offense 
• Playing Hands-in:
•  Early Position 
• Middle position 
• Late Position 
• Blinds 
• Set a Baseline and Adjust According to Player Tendencies 
• Capitalize on Position to Win Pots 
• Quiz: Winning Pots Established on Position

Hand Ranges and Board Texture

In this section of the course you will learn the following: 

• Recognize Range, Not Exact Hands 
• Build a Cognitive Database of Your Rivals’ Ranges 
• As Betting Increases, Ranges Evolve 
• Keep Your Range Balanced
• Ranges on Dry Flops and Wet Flops
• Recognize Player Tendencies and build ranges based on it 
• Think a Few Streets Ahead 
• Ranges Adjustments 

Ranges: Hand Reading

Utilizing footage of a real hand, Negreanou walks you through his whole thinking process as he figures out his opponent’s range.

Game Theory and Math – learn poker theory and poker math

• Understanding GTO 
• Set a Baseline and Adjust 
• Calculating Pot Odds 
• Calculating Fold Frequency 
• Use a mix of GTO and Exploitative Play
• Quiz

C-Betting

The continuation has become extremely important in recent years. Find out the best times to c-bet.

• Factor In Board Texture and the Number of Opponents 
• Boards for C-Betting 
• Improve C-Betting With Big Draws 
• Don’t Always C-Bet
• Have a Plan After C-BET 
• Evaluate Potential Runouts 

Check-Raising

• When to Check Rais
• Mix Up Your Check-Raising 
• Quiz
  

Three-Betting

• The Evolution of Three-Betting
• How to Play against a Three-Bet 
• Modify Your Opponents’ Ranges After They Call Your 3-Bet
• Consider Stacks Size When Encountering a 3-Bet 
• Play a Wide Range with Your 3-Bets 
• Balance The Times You 3-Bets From Various Positions 

Three-Betting: Hand Review

Utilizing footage of a hand from an EPT Barcelona Super High Roller, Daniel discusses the significance of adjusting your 3-betting approach when facing resistance.

Detecting and Executing the Bluff

• Exploiting Capped Ranges 
• Equity 
• Blockers 
• Tell a story with the way you play
• Barreling 
• Value-to-Bluff Proportions

Executing the Bluff: Reviews

• Review of Daniel’s game vs. Phil Ivey 
• Bluffing Bryn Kenney
• Using Player Tendencies vs. Phil Hellmuth and Doyle Brunson 

Bet Sizing

Daniel describes bet sizing with max value while minimizing risk.

Value Bets 

• Make Smaller Bets on Dry Boards 
• Bet the Lowest Possible Amount When Trying to Steal Pots 
• Keep the Bet Amount Consistent.
• Look for tells in Opponent’s Bet Sizing

Overbetting

• Overbetting is not for Novice players
• Overbetting Based On Opponents’ Ranges 
• Prerequisites for Overbet-Bluff and Fold Frequency
• Blockers in Overbetting  
• Know When To Fold

Multi-way Dynamics

As the number of your opponents grows, you should adjust your game. Daniel Negreanu describes how to play in multi-person pots.

Mix Your Strategy

Learn how to make your opponents guess your hands.

Understanding Board Coverage 

• Boost Board Coverage With Hands That Flop Well
• Mix-up your strategy
• Add Range Balance Into Your Strategy 
• Train People to Worry About Your Checks 

Mixed Strategy

 Review of a hand between Tony G. vs. Antonio Esfandiari

Most Common Preflop and Postflop Mistakes

Kid Poker analyses players’ most typical mistakes and shows how to avoid them.

• Multi-Table Tournament Strategy: Early and Middle Stages
• Early Stages: Play More Hands With Postflop Potential 
• Early Stages: Play According To Blind Structure 
• Middle Stages: Be Aware of Stacks, Particularly the Short Ones 
• Middle Stages: Don’t Play Against Other Big Stacks 
• Middle Stages: Know When To Fold and Shove

Multi-Table Tournament Strategy: On the Bubble

Negreanu teaches strategies for navigating the precarious “bubble,” including how to get in the money by leveraging big stacks and avoiding ICM suicide.

ICM 

• Leverage Big Stacks 
• Playing Short-Stacked and a Middle Stack 
• Bypass ICM Suicide

MTT Strategy: Late Stages and Final Table

• In the Money 
• Late Stages: Take Risks
• The Final Table: Think About the Pay Jumps and Controlled Aggression

Universal MTT Strategy

• Think About Your MTT Situation at Every Measure 
• Don’t Concentrate on Average Stack Size 
• Steal Pots 
• Sustain Fold-Equity 
• Avoid All-Ins

Cash Games

• Don’t Limp 
• Adjust Stack Size According to Circumstances 
• Keep a Deep Stack to Make Max Profit
• Consistently Go for Value 
• Get your money from Maniacs
• Hand Strength Must Grow On Ech Street 
• Avoid Spewy Behavior 
• The More Chips You have, the More Significant your Position Becomes

Masking Tells

Negreanu also is a master of poker psychology. He will teach you to keep a constant physical baseline, have a poker face, and not reveal your cards.

Finding Tells, Part 1 and 2

• Look For Changes in Patterns
• Chips Shuffling 
• Eyes 
• Body Movements 
• Betting Action 
• Breathing 
• Quiz: How to Spot Tells 

Spotting Tells: Hand Reviews

• Mask your own tells
• Catching a Tell vs. Nick Schulman.
• Recognizing a Possible Sign of Good Hand vs. Sándor Demján

Table Talk

The master of poker hand reading in live poker tournaments will teach you a few talking tricks.

How to Think at the Poker Table

Daniel believes it is essential not to allow emotion to get in the way of reasoning. He will show you the standard mental traps you must avoid and the list he utilizes to hold a clear head.

Managing and Exploiting Tilt

Learn how to use tilt against other players.

Table Image and Metagame

• Table Image is not only your Appearance
• Use table talk to your advantage
• Play like a Chameleon 
• Capitalize your Image 
• Be aware of your Opponent’s Thinking
• Use Suboptimal Plays 

Table Image and Metagame: Comprehensive game review

• A Pot vs. Alec Torelli 
• Table Image vs. Steven Silverman

Player Profiling

One of the greatest poker players shows methods to identify various player types and how to modify your strategy beat them.

Game Selection

Negreanu gives a full instruction on how to determine the perfect table where you can win.

Bankroll Management

•  Variance 
• The 20 Buy-In Rule 
• When to Move Up or Down in Stakes 
• and more. 

Off-Felt Training

Optimize your practice time, use meditation, and have a balanced lifestyle.

Life as a Poker Player

Daniel will tell you how to handle your poker life.

Bonus Material: Online Play

Daniel explains the fundamental distinctions between online and live games and communicates guidance on avoiding damaging your winnings.

What did I enjoy the most? Daniel Negreanu Masterclass Review

Getting inside the pro player’s head

The possibility of getting inside the head of a poker player I admire and have been following since the beginning of my poker career is unique. 

The real-world examples from Negreanu’s biggest games where he explains his thought process are priceless.

Additionally, he presents the hands and all the strategies in an easy-to-understand way making it easy to absorb.

Detailed analyses of Negreanu’s finest live plays

As a Negreanu fan, it’s fascinating to listen to him discuss his thought process during some of his most memorable plays.

For example, he clearly describes his strategy when he played against an Israeli player, Shlomi, in EPT London.

Daniel describes and explains the range, bet sizing, and opponent image that help him to force Shlomi to fold the winning hand (pair of Kings). You can see that hand in the below video. 

 

Complete poker course

Although Daniel’s best games are tournaments in his classes, he focuses on all the most important aspects of this complex game. 

He covers not only tournament strategy but also everything you need to know about:

• cash games, 
• bankroll management, 
• ranges, 
• positions, 
• tells and much more, making the course complete. 

Off-the-table game preparation

An exciting part of the course is when Daniel talks about the part of poker that is only visible to some.

Daniel introduces you to his meditation and a balanced lifestyle away from the poker tables that helped him to achieve his enormous poker success.

Includes Phil Ivey Masterclass Poker and 180 other courses

Another massive advantage of getting Negreanu’s class is that together with his course, you will receive Phil Ivey MasterClass and 180 other classes.

Poker Terminology

Obviously, the six-time World Series of Poker player uses a lot of poker slang, and if you have no knowledge of the game this could be a little bit problematic.

However, Negreanu explains most of the terms and included a pdf guide with all the terminology used in the course.

Daniel even included a pdf with poker fundamentals guide that you can download. 

Which areas of Daniel Negreanu’s Poker Masterclass need improvement?

On the negative side, some players find Daniel’s talking compulsive.

However, I enjoy his talk as he does it in an easily digestible and entertaining way. 

Although I appreciated all the valuable tips Negreanu shared on playing poker game, I feel like he kept his biggest poker secrets to himself. I can understand it, as he still plays a lot of poker these days. 

My Recommendation – is it worth it?

This is not a course that goes into deep detail on one specific aspect of the game of poker but instead covers all the most critical elements of this game.

Nevertheless, If you are looking for general poker training and have a passion for online and live poker, you will find this course very informative and entertaining.

Who will benefit the most from this course?

I can recommend Daniel’s course to Novice, Intermediate players and fans of Negreanou. 

However, if you are you’re new to the game of poker (you don’t know the rules, jargon, etc.), starting with a poker book for beginners would be more beneficial in moving your poker skills to the next level. 

This course is not for high–stakes or very experienced players participating in big games.

Not all content at once

I recommend watching the content piece by piece. Dont, watch it all at once. 

Make sure to fully understand and practice the concepts before moving to the next part. Otherwise, you will waste your money and won’t improve your game. 

What are the alternatives to this poker course?

There are many alternatives to Negreanou Masterclass.

If you are looking for more specific training focusing on another area of this game, you can use the below filters and compare options (⤮) to find the best poker classes for you.

You will learn Poker fundamentals (ranges, board textures, mathematics, positions, etc.). Mental game (tells, table image, adjusting to MTT and cash game, tilt control, bankroll management, game selection, and preparation). Tournament and cash game strategy (check/raising, bet sizing, c-betting, bluffing). Game theory.  Name  Daniel Negreanu Poker Masterclass Category Course Games Tournaments, Cash Games Coach Daniel Negreanu Content 7 hours and 40 minutes, composed of 38 videos Skill Level Beginner and Intermediate Price $180 Free Trial 30 day money back guarantee Access Duration One Year Content Format Video lessons Languages English, Spanish, French Support Email, chat, phone Payment Methods MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover or PayPal Additional Features Real-life hand examples, interactive quizzes , 122-page guidebook Pros World-class poker pro. Real, live game examples. Easy to absorb Affordable. Well-structured. 122-page guidebook included. Complete – Covers the most important aspects of poker. Subscription includes Phil Ivey MasterClass + 180 other courses. Covers fundamentals of poker. Cons Not for pro or advanced players