Negreanu had relinquished his lead to Phil Ivey in 2009 when Ivey made the November WSOP Main Event final table earning $1,404,014. He came to the Bahamas about $250k behind but surged past him with the big finish. He chose to have 100% of himself for the event, building off his recent confidence.
“With Ivey, it’s a lifelong battle. I don’t look at it as if this event has to be the one. My goal is to chip away and if I pass him, try to maintain that lead. For me, it’s more a case of winning. I’m not too concerned with locking up a second or third place finish, I’m going after the win.”
Negreanu had recently laid out his 2011 poker goals publicly in his blog with a clear desire to focus more on poker and less on promotion and side interests. He wanted to return to being seen as a great player, not just a great ambassador of poker.
When asked about why he had 100% of himself, Negreanu said "It's less about your edge and more about the thrill of playing for something so substantial."
