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It was a really interesting idea when it was originally announced last year. The likable and easygoing professional poker player Daniel Negreanu would play exclusively at the new Wynn poker room. He would serve as an ambassador by ushering high limit players inside, and hopefully build some credibility for Wynn’s new poker room.
There was only one problem. The big game never left the Bellagio.
Daniel Negreanu’s contract with Wynn obligated him to play exclusively at Wynn’s poker room. This meant that Negreanu missed out on the high stakes cash games across the street at Bellagio. Negreanu said that although his contract with Wynn was lucrative given his responsibilities there, it wasn’t rich enough to compensate for missing out on all the action at the hugest cash games in town.
Negotiations recently held between Negreanu and Wynn that could have led to a new contract fell apart because of Wynn’s insistence that Negreanu confine his play to Wynn’s poker room.
It’s a shame that this concept didn’t work. I like the idea of celebrity endorsements, and it would have been cool to see more professional poker players endorsing local card rooms. That sort of thing goes a long way toward giving a particular poker room some personality.
Could you imagine the Vegas poker room where a guy like Phil Hellmuth might be ambassador? Or, how fun would it be to try and pair a poker celebrity with the poker room at the El Cortez? Actually, I think Scotty Nguyen would be perfect at the Imperial Palace!
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