September 2024 will be a historic month for KKPoker as we launch our first-ever KKLIVE event in Sao Paulo!
For four years, KKPoker has given new and exciting online poker opportunities to poker lovers in Brazil, and we are delighted to finally be bringing a new live poker event to the nation.
In the run-up to the event, it's time to get to know the history of poker in Brazil even more! Learn how Brazilian poker success in Las Vegas grabbed the country's attention and even how soccer stars shone a new light on poker in Brazil!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BRAZIL POKER HISTORY ORIGINS
POKER BOOM
BRAZIL'S NATIONAL MINDSPORT
FAMOUS BRAZILIAN POKER PLAYERS
MODERN DAY
KKLIVE SAO PAULO
BRAZIL POKER HISTORY ORIGINS
In 2024, Brazil has an estimated population of over 217M, making it the 7th largest by rankings globally.
Sport is a pastime enjoyed throughout Brazil, with children often playing ball games in the street to release energy and satisfy their competitive nature. By evening, private home poker games among friends grew in popularity.
Brazilians have always been passionate about card games, a tradition passed down through generations, through local and very popular games like Truco and Cacheta. Many families and friends gather on weekends to play these games purely for fun, often without any monetary value involved. The connection with the world's most famous card game, poker, was only a matter of time.
Dheigo, KKPoker Brazil Business Development Manager, is one of many poker enthusiasts who are part of the team helping to grow poker across the nation further, and has shared his early experience with learning poker.
"I learned poker as a child, about 8 years old, from my Grandmother, who knew NLH 5 Card Draw. My extended family would gather for lunch on a Sunday, and the card games would start after eating."
"I later learned NLH, and basic poker strategies before an accident caused me to break my knee and stay off work for 6 months. I would play online freerolls and study the game more to pass the time.
"I went on to attend live poker clubs. I was ultimately hired to be part of one of the growing poker teams in Brazil before finally getting the opportunity to combine my knowledge of poker and business at KKPoker and continue to be a part of this game's fascinating world."
Dheigo will attend KKLIVE SAO PAULO and looks forward to meeting more of the KKPoker community in the venue and at the poker tables!
POKER BOOM
The poker boom - a term to describe poker's rise in the early 2000s. It was a time when online poker became more prominent due to an online qualifier named Chris Moneymaker, who battled his way to winning the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event for a staggering $2,500,000, and the world took notice.
After the 'Moneymaker effect', two young men named Christian Kruel and Raul Oliveira ventured into online poker, which was practically nonexistent in Brazil, as the internet was not easily accessible to most. Kruel and Oliveira started the first site with poker content and the first Brazilian poker school. These pioneering friends began to change Brazilian society's perception of poker, which until then was seen as gambling.
However, it took a few more years for Brazil to fully feel the poker wave. In an interview with PokerStrategy, Brazilian poker legend Andre Akkari felt the delay was a 'mix of a few factors, including a potential language difference.'
It wasn't until 2008 that a Brazilian player won the first WSOP bracelet for the nation, and when Akkari won his first bracelet in 2011, he felt a massive change in how poker was perceived in Brazil.
Akkari was featured on Globo, Brazil's most popular network, conducting a 17-minute interview discussing his recent win. "85% of people in Brazil watch this show," said Akkari. His appearance on national television opened up poker to an audience of sports fans who had never played or considered playing poker before.
Akkari added that the support he received from his friends and fans on the tournament rail when he won his first bracelet was so exciting that the WSOP president even told him that "his win was a shift, and would change the perception of a what a WSOP final table and bracelet win is forever."
In 2008, the Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP) was established and the presence of professionally run live poker events in the nation further helped poker players connect. Since then, Brazil has also become a prominent nation for creating poker training groups, offering coaching and poker staking opportunities to promising players.
BRAZIL'S NATIONAL MINDSPORT
Brazil is a competitive nation, with football being its national sport, and it has had many years of success, including an unprecedented 5 World Cup wins.
Sporting heroes such as Pele, Ronaldo and Neymar have emerged, with the former two also playing an important role in poker, which will be discussed later.
But for those who do not focus on physical sports, poker has become their outlet for the competitive spirit that Brazilians hold inside. With poker being fully recognized as a mind sport by the Brazilian Supreme Court, it has become a popular pastime for many, and poker is not considered an act of gambling in the same way other countries may see the game.
FAMOUS BRAZILIAN POKER PLAYERS
Andre Akkari
1 x WSOP Bracelet Winner
$3.6M Live Earnings
#4 Ranking
Akkari's poker achievements helped the sport become more recognizable in Brazil and helped pave the way for the new generation of live and online Brazilian poker players.
Yuri Martins Dzivielevski
5 x WSOP Bracelet Winner
$6.6M Live Earnings
#1 Ranking
A prolific poker player in many formats, Dzivielevski has demonstrated to be one of the best poker players in the world in both live and online poker.
Alexandre Gomes
1 x WSOP Bracelet Winner
1 x WPT Championship Winner
$3.7M Live Earnings
#5 Ranking
Gomes was the first Brazilian player to win a World Series of Poker bracelet after his victory in the $2,000 NLH Event in 2008 for a $770,000 prize. A year later, he won the WPT Bellagio Cup Championship Event for over $1.1M, defeating the likes of Erik Seidel, Alec Torelli and Faraz Jaka at the final table.
Felipe Ramos
$3.8M Live Earnings
#3 Ranking
Poker Ambassador
With a rich 16 years of live poker history, Ramos has traveled the world as a poker ambassador. With seven six-figure live tournament cashes, Ramos is a formidable opponent and is considered one of the best poker players yet to win a WSOP bracelet.
MODERN DAY
As of July 2024, Brazil has 18 players in the Top 50 global online poker rankings provided by PokerStake (previously PocketFives). Although the goal of becoming the online #1 ranked player in the world is not as prominent for online poker players as it was several years ago, Brazil's dominance shows its continued growth.
Yuri Martins Dzivielevski currently tops the recorded live poker Brazil All Time Money list, having won a staggering $6.6M over the past 14 years. As predicted, his first record live cash came in a BSOP event in 2010, finishing 46th in the Main Event, and a year later, his live poker career pushed on with a 2nd place finish in the 2011 Main Event for $109,000. The latest of his five WSOP bracelets coming in 2024 after winning the $3,000 9-Game Mix 7-Handed tournament.
98-cap Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldo has become a prominent poker ambassador since his retirement. The former Barcelona and Real Madrid goalscorer swapped the grass fields for the poker felt and featured heavily in promotional campaigns for brands such as PokerStars.
Fellow soccer legends have since followed in his footsteps, with Neymar JR. a regular online and live poker player. The former PSG man recently attended many live poker events in recent years and also attended the 2024 World Series of Poker.
In 2022, KKPoker partnered with soccer stars Felipe Melo and Rodrigo Caio to bring their team rivalry to the poker tables. KKPoker players were exclusively able to choose their team to represent and complete missions to win lucky draw tickets for exciting prizes. KKPoker players also had the chance to compete against Melo and Caio in live-streamed tournaments on Twitch.
KKLIVE SAO PAULO 2024
KKPoker is delighted to announce the inaugural KKLIVE SAO PAULO in September 2024.
The event will span four days with exciting poker action, kicking off with a FREEROLL, followed by a NO RAKE MAIN EVENT!
It's an exciting opportunity for the KKPoker Brazilian player community to finally unite, create more connections, and battle for top prizes.
Learn all the important event information here, and join us for the poker festival!
