BY TOM SOMACH

Top poker pro Daniel Negreanu says the reason he played poorly at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event last month in Las Vegas is because he “cracked under the pressure.”

It’s a stunning admission by a professional poker player considered to be calm, cool and collected–not to mention one of the best poker players in the world.

And it goes to show, once again, how in the world of poker, there’s the high-stakes high pressure of the WSOP main event–and then there’s everything else.

“I recently played in the $10,000 buy-in main event at the World Series of Poker, and the key reason that I was eliminated was because I did something that I haven’t done in a poker tournament in a very long time: I cracked under the pressure,” Negreanu writes in his weekly syndicated newspaper column about poker.

“What led to my demise was not just the final hand, but also, and more importantly, the previous hands that caused me to lose my cool,” he writes. “You see, a few hours prior to elimination, I was doing exceptionally well and among the leaders in the tournament.”

Negreanu, a Canadian who has relocated to Las Vegas so he can play poker daily, goes on in his column to recount the hand which knocked him out of this year’s main event: trip eights, a hand he usually would’ve folded against.

“Normally, I would consider this an easy lay down, but I was getting sick and tired of always folding,” Negreanu writes.

“My brain was foggy and I was tired,” he writes. “I just couldn’t put it all together…I was disappointed in myself for cracking like I did. Normally, that’s something I’m able to fight through. I see others around me crack all the time, but I’m usually good about leaving past hands in the past and focusing on the present. I guess everyone has his threshold, and I’d unfortunately reached mine.”

He continues: “There’s so much to think about at the poker table that has nothing to do with the actual cards. The psychological aspects of poker are as important, if not more important, than learning how to play the game fundamentally well. Dealing with bad luck, and not allowing it to send you on tilt is a real skill.

“Being able to focus on each hand without allowing past beats to creep into your decision-making process is a must. Talent, a full understanding of game fundamentals and math abilities will only take you so far as a poker player. If your head isn’t in the right place and you’re unable to stay disciplined, you’re doomed.

“I’ve been playing this game for 15 years and figured I was past all that, but I cracked at the worst imaginable time. I’m a big boy and will get over it. Learn from my experience. If you want to succeed in this game, learn to deal with the stresses and find a way to stay cool under pressure.”

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)