Connor Daynard: From Beginner to World Poker Tour Contender
Connor Daynard, a rising star in the poker world.
Five years ago, Connor Daynard was an ordinary 20-year-old living in Toronto, with little knowledge of poker. However, the onset of the pandemic changed everything. In a casual act of camaraderie, a friend sent him $50 to kickstart an online home game with a few friends. Little did Daynard know, this single gesture would set him on a path to become a formidable player in the poker world.
The Poker Journey Begins
At the time, Connor was just another guy navigating the world as the pandemic unfolded. As most social gatherings moved online, poker became a means of connection and competition. Within months, Connor found himself engaged in multiple games and improving his skills. With every game he played, the thrill of competition and a growing passion for the game enveloped him.
Reflecting on his journey, Daynard expressed, “It’s kind of a dream come true,” as he spoke with PokerNews during a break in the action with just 16 players remaining in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Playground Championship.
A New Path Unplugged
This moment in his life is particularly significant because Connor recently completed a five-year electrician apprenticeship. However, instead of sticking to a conventional career path, he made the bold decision to embrace poker full-time after finishing his training.
“I was playing poker throughout my apprenticeship and getting good. As soon as I finished, I quit and took on poker full time, and here we are two months later, final 16 with CAD $400K up top. So, pretty exciting,” Daynard stated, bursting with enthusiasm about his current situation.
Balancing Aspirations
What sets Daynard apart from many aspiring professional poker players is his approach to education and career. While many players drop out of school to pursue poker, Daynard finished his apprenticeship with a vision of keeping a safety net. “It was always a great backup,” he said, adding that he wanted to demonstrate to his family that completing his education was worthwhile.
His close friends were eager for him to chase his poker dreams, though his family initially had reservations. After he laid out the numbers and shared his enthusiasm, they became supportive of his choice to pursue poker wholeheartedly.
The Thrill of the Game
Daynard’s poker saga is not without its obstacles. Just days before his remarkable run in the WPT, Connor found himself in tough waters, firing nine bullets in a CAD $1,100 WPT Playground Prime event without success. However, his fortunes changed rapidly in the upcoming event. “I come here, fire one bullet, bag the chip lead on Day 1, and then bag third in chips on Day 2,” he beamed, clearly enjoying the rollercoaster of poker.
His strategy? “It is just running pure, doing a lot of putting pressure on people when I can, doing one or two crazy bluffs,” he explains. Luck plays a role, but so does skill, grit, and making calculated moves at the right time.
Building Experience
Before the WPT Playground Championship, Daynard had only entered a handful of live events, with his total live tournament earnings not exceeding CAD $27,999. His achievements included a notable finish of 26th in the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #43, where he earned $9,126.
Despite this relatively modest background, Connor honed his skills in online poker, where he gained invaluable experience and built a solid strategy through practice and competition.
To New Beginnings
As fate would have it, Daynard’s journey did not stop at the WPT Playground. After this event, he is set to compete in the NAPT Las Vegas $5,300 Main Event, following a successful satellite win in a prior online tournament.
At the WPT Playground, as he held steady in the middle pack with 16 players remaining, Connor was already guaranteed a new career high of $19,795 in prize money, but he had his eyes on the bigger prize of CAD $296,779 for first place.
Regardless of how the tournament unfolds, one thing is abundantly clear: Daynard’s future in poker is promising, and his electric journey is only just beginning.
Photos courtesy World Poker Tour (WPT) / Alicia Skillman
Written by Chad Holloway, PR & Media Manager at PokerNews, podcast host, and 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.
