The first major poker tournament of 2019 is just days away. So there’s no better time than to pull out the crystal ball and take a look at how some of poker’s biggest names will do in 2019. Editor in Chief Lance Bradley, Managing Editor Donnie Peters and Senior Writer Jeff Walsh give their takes on what’s in store over the next 12 months for Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Ivey.

Phil Hellmuth Set for WSOP Player of the Year Run

“After winning $684,190 from live poker tournaments in 2018, Phil Hellmuth’s streak of consecutive years with more than $1 million in live tournament winnings stopped at three. After the World Series of Poker wrapped up in July, Hellmuth didn’t record another cash on the live poker felt for the remainder of the year. He did, however, pick up his record 15th WSOP gold bracelet in 2018.”

“In 2019, not only am I predicting that Hellmuth will win more than $1 million on the year, I’m going to say he’ll win more than $2.5 million. Although he seems to be dabbling more and more in the world of sports betting these days, as can be evidenced by content populating his Twitter feed, poker is Hellmuth’s bread and butter. With 2019 bringing the 50th annual World Series of Poker, I anticipate him being as focused as he’s ever been, which will lead to several deep runs. So many, in fact, that I’m predicting Hellmuth wins the 2019 WSOP Player of the Year award. He won’t win a gold bracelet, or a WPT title, though, as it will be the year of close calls for Hellmuth.” – Donnie Peters

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Daniel Negreanu Engaged and Disengaged at the Same Time

“So, what is on the horizon for poker’s most famous superstar? There’s no doubt that 2018 was a monster year for Daniel Negreanu. It was one that included the second highest live tournament score of his career when he finished second in May’s Super High Roller Bowl for $3 million. In total,’ Kid Poker’ pulled in over $4.5 million in earnings in 2018. Add to that a brand new mainstream poker training course, his deal with PokerGO, a cameo in the movie ‘Bodied’ and his continued relationship with PokerStars – Negreanu was successful both on and off the felt.”

“However, looking forward to 2019, I’m afraid I see his poker results taking a bit of setback. In addition to all of those things he accomplished in 2018, Negreanu also – very publicly – reconnected and fell back in love with his longtime ‘will they or won’t they?’ romantic partner, Friday Night Poker commentator, Amanda Leatherman. After months of some very public social media and podcast PDA, the pair got engaged on New Year’s Eve.”

“Sometimes, when people get really happy, they take their goals and ambitions and put them in the backseat. That’s what is likely to happen for Negreanu. Instead of spending time with coaches and a solver to stay at the top of the high roller game, he’ll be picking out wedding invitations and preparing to start a family. So while ‘Kid Poker’ will still be everywhere in poker, he may find that his tournament results in 2019 just aren’t there. At the same time though, his happiness ROI is going to be through the roof.” – Jeff Walsh

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Phil Ivey Isn’t Coming Through That Door Anytime Soon

“After spending all of 2017 away from the tournament scene, Phil Ivey re-emerged in 2018 to play a limited schedule that culiminated with a small cash in the 2018 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Seeing Ivey back at the tables was an exciting development for poker fans, but it was short lived and it was far from a complete return to the dominance those same poker fans have come to expect from him. It was $2.4 million in earnings from six cashes. When he played the $565 buy-in WSOP Colossus event in June, we were told Ivey was back because he loved the game too much to stay away. That might be true, but he never showed up in another tournament over the last five months of the year.

Sorry, poker world.

There’s very little reason to believe it won’t be more of the same in 2019 though. With the Borgata and Crockfords cases still hanging over his head – largely over back payment – Ivey has no real reason to emerge in a big way. He’s likely to continue playing high stakes cash games around the world and might make the odd Triton Cup appearance, but don’t look for him to show up on the scene playing European Poker Tour or World Poker Tour events on the regular. He’s likely going to be at the WSOP again this summer unless of course, the cash games in Vegas at that time are just too good to pass up.” – Lance Bradley