Negreanu Bust $25k Heads-Up After Ding Comeback

It took a few events, but Daniel Negreanu has his first cash as the opening weekend of the 2026 World Series of Poker draws to a close.

However, he will head back home tonight ruing a missed opportunity, after a stunning Biao Ding comeback in their match in the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship

Negreanu had his opponent out-chipped by 10:1, but Ding doubled three times including rivering a three-outer, to ultimately survive and advance to the quarter-final.

Negreanu Returns for $25k Heads-Up Day 2

The GGPoker Ambassador almost secured his first cash in Event #2: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed, only to have his pocket aces brutally cracked on the money bubble.

But if there are two things we know about Negreanu, it’s that he is playing an exhausting WSOP schedule and he never gives up. True to form, he bounced back to storm his way into Day 2 of the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship after defeating 2024 champion Darius Samual, Brock Wilson, and Harvey Castro.

His Day 2 opponent was Biao Ding, who quickly found himself in a deep hole against the father-to-be.

In a crucial hand, Negreanu fired a massive bet of 225,000, more than half of Ding’s remaining stack, on a 3♣10♣J♠7♣6♦ board. Ding called with 10♥8♣ but was outclassed by Negreanu’s Q♦J♣ for top pair. The pot locked up a massive chip lead for Kid Poker.

• Daniel Negreanu: 2,200,000 (88 bb)
• Biao Ding: 221,000 (9 bb)

Biao Ding’s Comeback

From there, however, the wheels came off in spectacular fashion.

The chips quickly went in with Ding’s K♠9♠ racing against Negreanu’s 7♥5♥. Despite Negreanu turning a massive 18 outs on A♣5♦2♥J♥K♦, Ding faded the river to secure his first double.

Shortly after, Ding doubled again, winning with A♦10♠ against Negreanu’s K♠Q♠.

The ultimate heartbreak came when Negreanu limped the button, Ding raised to 120,000, and Negreanu shoved. Ding called for his last 1,009,000.

Daniel Negreanu: A♥Q♦
Biao Ding: A♠9♠

The 6♦5♥2♦ flop and 10♠ turn kept Negreanu safely ahead, leaving Ding with just three outs.

“This would hurt Daniel,” the commentators mused.

Right on cue, the 9♦ spiked on the river, handing Ding a third consecutive double-up.

“I can’t fucking take it anymore,” a frustrated Negreanu vented. “We’re not done, but we’re basically done,” he said to the rail.

He was right. After the break, Negreanu moved his final nine big blinds into the middle with K♦3♥ and was looked up by A♦7♣.

The flop fell A♠J♥2♥, giving Ding top pair.

“You win every all-in,” Negreanu sighed. “I need backdoor hearts, backdoor straights.”

The turn brought the 2♣, officially leaving Negreanu drawing dead. “Oh, that one stings,” he muttered, and headed for the exit, swearing under his breath as he walked out of the Paris ballroom.

Daniel Negreanu at the 2025 WSOP Cashes

Nevertheless, despite the result, Negreanu has secured his first cash of the 2026 WSOP.

Last year, Negreanu got off to a flier, finishing runner-up to Ryan Bambrick in the $10,000 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Championship, denying Kid Poker the perfect start to the Series.

Five more top-10 finishes (and an 11th-place) would follow, the biggest of which came in the $250,000 Super High Roller where he finished ninth for $531,284. As you can see, seven cashes in $10,000 buy-in events along with cashes in $25,000, $100,000 and $250,000 buy-in events will be hard to beat. But Negreanu would settle for just one, as long as it came with a shiny new WSOP gold bracelet.

Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor.

He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.