Pokerās Olympic Dream Teams: Brazil
The worlds greatest athletes have all gathered in Paris, France for the Summer Olympics and while poker isnt an Olympic sport ā or maybe even a sport at all ā WPT.com couldnt help but take the opportunity to imagine what it just might look like if some of the worlds best poker players were representing their country in Paris.
In the true Olympic spirit, each countrys organizing committee was tasked with filling a five-person roster consisting of a specialist in each of the following
The five players would also be accompanied by a coach from their country. Each player would compete ONLY in their respective discipline, earning not only individual glory ā medals available for each event ā but also team points that lead to gold, silver, and bronze medals for the top performing country.
With that in mind, weve put together teams from Canada, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Great Britain, and the United States with insight from some of the top journalists in poker. Today, we present to you the 2024 Brazilian Olympic Poker team, with insights from Gabriel Grilo of Super Poker.
No Limit Holdāem Tournament Brunno Botteon
When it comes to online No Limit Holdāem tournaments, few modern players can match the success of Brunno Botteon. Most notably, Botteon finished second to Damian Salas in the International version of the online WSOP Main Event in 2020, recording a career-best cash of $1,062,723. In all Botteon has accumulated well over $10 million in career online tournament earnings, including a WCOOP title in 2021, a $764,665 payday for winning the $1,500 GG World Championship in May of this year and several other notable titles.
āBotteon is definitely up there, especially if weāre talking about an āOlympic cycleā of four years,ā said Grillo. āHeās not the most active player right now, but he is definitely worthy of the spot. Iād say Felipe Boianovsky and Pedro Padilha are also two fair names to consider in this category.ā
In this format Botteon will have to contend with some true giants in the game of poker. The biggest question would be whether or not his limited live experience could play a factor, although 2023 was far and away the most active period of live tournament results in Botteonās career thus far.
Pot Limit Omaha Tournament Joao Simao
When it comes to Pot Limit Omaha, few Brazilian players can match the credentials of Joao Simao. In 2022, Simao won his second career WSOP bracelet and recorded a career-best result of $686,242 in a half Pot Limit Omaha, half No Limit Holdāem event. Simao also has a PokerGO Tour PLO win, a $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha side event win at the 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and a third-place finish in the 2024 WSOP $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Championship.
āAlso a great choice,ā said Grilo, āHeās been known for his PLO skills for many years and has the results to back it up, even if heās kept a lower profile for the past few years.ā
Simao is well-established with 15 years of results and over $7.2 million in live tournament earnings on his resume, making him a clear choice as a No. 1 in this format. But Grilo points to another Brazilian on the rise in PLO to keep an eye out for, who just so happened to finish fourth in the 2022 WSOP PLO/NLH event that Simao won and took down a WSOP PLO bracelet of his own at WSOP Paradise back in December.
āAnother name would be Dante Goya Fernandes,ā said Grilo. āHeās known as one of the biggest Brazilian PLO players, won a bracelet last year, and has great results online, too.ā
No Limit Holdāem Cash Game Romulo Dorea
For some American poker fans, the first time they read the name Romulo Dorea was when he made the final table of WPT Voyage back in April, finishing in sixth place. But Dorea built up a significant following as a full-time poker vlogger.
Born in Belem, Brazil, the 29-year-old moved to Chicago to play college soccer and now travels between Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Florida, and Texas playing in cash games and vlogging about his adventures to more than 100,000 in Portuguese to a predominantly Brazilian audience. Dorea has proven himself capable of performing when the cameras are on and the lights are bright.
āI think Romulo is a fair name if we consider the live cash game scene in the US, and he also excels as a content creator,ā said Grilo.
Grilo also pointed towards a strong secondary option in this format.
āThe biggest Brazilian name is Mateus Carrion de Moraes, aka āZinho,ā said Grilo. āHe has a cash game stable and plays higher stakes.ā
Mixed Game Tournament Yuri Dzivelevski
When it comes to listing the most successful Brazilian tournament poker players in the world, itās difficult not to consider Yuri Dzivelevski in the No. 1 spot. Heās a five-time WSOP bracelet winner with $6.6 million in total lifetime live tournament earnings. All but one of those WSOP wins came in a non-Holdāem format, and Dzivelevski also has a runner-up finish in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship.
When it comes to online poker, Dzivelevski is a six-time PokerStars WCOOP champion with over $15 million in total online tournament earnings.
āNo argument here,ā said Grilo. āYuri is the biggest name in the history of poker in Brazil and plays all games really well.ā
Thereās also no questioning his work ethic or ambition, which could be vital attributes when it comes to driving Team Brazil forward.
I always say that Ill overcome Phil Hellmuth by the time I reach his age, Dzivielevski told Jeff Walsh in July. Its in jest, but theres a grain of truth. Bracelets are awesome because of the memories you create. I play poker as a job, for the money, but winning bracelets turns it into more of a special activity, giving me awesome memories that Ill have forever.
Heads-Up No Limit Holdāem Thiago Nishijima**
On a Team Brazil that seeks to balance between several generations of players, Thiago Nishijima brings another veteran presence into the equation. With live results that go back well over 15 years, Nishijima is a WSOP bracelet winner with $2.2 million in lifetime live tournament results and a number of other WSOP and WPT Main Tour final tables under his belt. He also has a $1,558,000 PokerStars WCOOP title back in 2009, with well over $4 million in lifetime online tournament earnings.
Nishijima has taken a step back from traveling the worldwide tournament circuit in recent years, with all of his live results dating back to 2019 coming at events in Brazil, but his heads-up bonafides are undeniable.
āWhen the Global Poker League happened, he was chosen as the heads-up player for the Sao Paulo Metropolitans,ā said Grilo. āThiago doesnāt really grind nowadays, but heās still a big name in Brazilian poker history. He used to be the only Brazilian to play the $25K Heads-Up Championship at the WSOP.ā
Coach for Team Brazil Andre Akkari
When it comes to poker in Brazil, the first name that comes to mind is likely Andre Akkari. He was the second Brazilian player in poker history to win a WSOP bracelet when he recorded his $1,500 No Limit Holdāem victory in 2011; Alexandre Gomes was the first Brazilian bracelet winner, in 2008. Akkari continues to be a serious challenger in any event he plays, recording an EPT Barcelona final table in August 2023 and a second-place finish in a $2022 WSOP $2,500 Nine Game Mix event.
While heād be a worthy player in most of the events, Akkariās experience and connections within the Brazilian poker community are unmatched. Just as weāve seen celebrities and world-famous athletes flock to watch other games during the 2024 Paris Games thus far, it wouldnāt come as any shock to see the legendary Neymar in attendance for an Akkari-coached Team Brazil.
āYou can never go wrong with Akkari, as heās probably the most important name in Brazilian poker,ā said Grilo.
Coaching staffs run deep in most sports, and Akkari could also pull from a deep pool of candidates in terms of setting Team Brazil up for success.
āYou could also put Felipe Mojave there as somebody with a big following and respect from the community,ā said Grilo.
Stats courtesy of The Hendon Mob/GPI
FAQ
Can you win real money at WPT Global?
Can you win real money at WPT Global?
Yes, you can win real money at WPT Global. WPT Global also offer the chance to win seats in any number of exciting live tournaments.
How many decks are used in poker?
how many decks are used in poker?
In most popular poker variants, such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha, a standard deck of 52 playing cards is used. Each deck contains four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades) and consists of 13 ranks (Ace, 2 through 10, and the face cards: Jack, Queen, and King).
However, it’s important to note that the number of decks used in poker can vary depending on the specific game or variation being played. For example, some poker tournaments or cash games may use multiple decks to speed up the gameplay or reduce the frequency of card shuffling. In such cases, it is common to use two or more decks that are shuffled together.
What is the bonus code for WPT Global Poker 2023?
What is the bonus code for WPT Global Poker 2023?
We’ll save you time. The best bonus code for WPT Global is WPT777. By entering the bonus code, players will get a welcome bonus 100% up to $1,200 on the first deposit. The minimum deposit is $20.
What is the best WPT Global bonus code?
What is the best World Poker Tour bonus code?
Use the WPT Global bonus code WPT777 when registering to get a 100% deposit bonus up to $1200 plus a $100 No Deposit poker bonus.
What is the WPT bonus code?
What is the WPT bonus code?
The WPT bonus code is WPT777. Use this code at WPTglobal.com to get up to $1200 poker bonus. This code has been approved by WPT Global and gives new users the maximum new user offer.
Download & Play WPT Global Application In Shortly
This site only collects related articles. Viewing the original, please copy and open the following link:Pokerās Olympic Dream Teams: Brazil
