Poker players combine their public and private sector careers with travel to participate in tournaments, training for long hours in hopes of winning substantial awards.
In Brazil, poker players, both amateur and professional, share insights about their solitary routines as they strive for million-dollar prizes in various tournaments. Armed with caps, sunglasses, headphones, and high-collared tops to conceal their identities from competitors, these players dedicate significant time to training, often competing with thousands of others. The excitement around poker has grown tremendously, partly due to the endorsement of celebrities like Neymar, which has helped elevate the popularity of the game in Brazil.
The poker scene in Brazil is well-organized, with events like the Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP) providing a structured circuit that crowns champions in both men's and women's categories. The first stage of 2026 kicked off at a resort in northern Bahia, attracting nearly 6,000 players who gathered for week-long tournaments. The players hope to recoup their travel and accommodation expenses through prize earnings, reflecting the financial stakes involved in competitive poker.
In addition to the main national tournament, several parallel tournaments occur simultaneously, providing even more opportunities for competitors to win prizes. This burgeoning poker culture exemplifies not just a growing hobby but also an emerging profession for many participants who navigate turbulent travel schedules and training commitments with aspirations of achieving success and recognition on a larger scale.
