Structure still being finalized

The poker community is about to have a new heads-up challenge to sweat: Daniel Negreanu versus Doug Polk. Complete specifics have yet to be set, but it does appear that the two men have agreed in principle and just need to hammer out a few details.

$200/$400 No-Limit Hold’em played on two online tables simultaneously

The basics of the match at this point seem to be $200/$400 No-Limit Hold’em played on two online tables simultaneously. The two main details that are still up in the air are how many hands it will last and whether or not hole cards will be shown on a delay during live streams.

Polk wants to play 25,000 hands, but Negreanu seems to prefer a number closer to 10,000. He did say he was flexible in that regard. Polk is also the one who wants the cards shown in their respective live streams of the contest, but Negreanu said he needs to “sleep on that” and confer with his coach, 15-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, Phil Hellmuth.

Hostilities led to poker bout

The one-on-one match developed this week in the aftermath of Negreanu’s profanity-riddled tirade during his 2020 WSOP Online live stream that resulted in him getting banned from Twitch. Polk, a former top poker pro who has had an on-and-off spat with Negreanu for a few years, was one of the most outspoken people on Twitter condemning the Poker Hall of Famer’s behavior. He went on to post a YouTube parody video of Negreanu’s Masterclass commercial mixed with Negreanu’s cursing from the live stream. YouTube later took the video down.

Poker vlogger and podcaster Joey Ingram suggested the two settle their beef in a poker match, something that Polk thought was a good idea. Polk goaded Negreanu, saying he was scared, while Negreanu responded by saying that everything Polk wanted in the match was specifically designed to give Polk an advantage.

The two continued jabbing each other – and not in a friendly way – before finally getting down to a negotiation of terms. Polk originally wanted four tables of No-Limit Hold’em, but was willing to do two tables, one No-Limit Hold’em and one of Negreanu’s choosing.

Polk continued to not believe that Negreanu would actually accept the challenge until Negreanu replied with the two-table $200/$400 No-Limit Hold’em idea, finishing with “Deal the f*****g cards.”

Negreanu still suspended from Twitch

As mentioned, the origin of the yet-to-be-cemented Polk/Negreanu heads-up challenge is Negreanu’s blowup during his World Series of Poker live stream last Friday night. While broadcasting his play in Event #24: $400 No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed on WSOP.com, Negreanu saw a comment in the chat from a viewer, apparently insulting his wife.

That made Negreanu, third on the live tournament all-time money list, see red. He immediately let loose a river of invective: “Hey, Tom Estrada, go f**k yourself, you piece of s**t. Block that c**k motherf*****g piece of s**t. F**k you, f**k you, f**k you in your ass. How about that? Okay, Tom Estrada, f**k you in your ass. Eat some of that, you piece of s**t.”

He continued, telling Mr. Estrada that he would knock him out and, “I will break your f*****g teeth if you come step to me and I will feed ‘em to you anally.”

the prepared statement he read on Monday was a sarcastic non-apology

The outburst got Daniel Negreanu’s Twitch account suspended on Sunday, July 26. The ban has yet to be lifted. He is still able to live stream on other platforms such as YouTube.

Negreanu teased a forthcoming apology, but the prepared statement he read on Monday was a sarcastic non-apology, preceded by false, mocking politeness during the short time he played poker on his stream.