Poker is a serious matter for Neymar. The football star is completely passionate about the noble card game. He even got a pair of aces tattooed on the back of one of his hands. This devotion to the mind sport reportedly began during one of the most challenging periods of the athlete’s career.
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Thus, in 2014 Neymar suffered a serious injury during the World Cup quarterfinals. Colombian Zuniga landed a knee to the back of the Brazilian and kept him off the field for a long time. During the recovery period, the player began to dedicate himself to online poker and developed a taste for competition.
However, Neymar lacked a mentor. At that time, André Akkari was already established as one of Brazil’s best players. WSOP champion in 2011, he trained other players through the QG Akkari Team. Their connection happened through the PokerStars platform and this partnership bore good fruit.
The first time at BSOP
Because of this connection with Akkari, Neymar appeared for the first time at BSOP in 2018. At the time, he was still a PSG player and registered for one of the most expensive tournaments on the schedule, the High Roller with a buy-in of R$ 7,000. He played the entire tournament sporting a “patch” from the QG Akkari Team, showing he was serious.
As a result, Neymar’s seriousness in that contest earned a respectable result. The footballer reached the final table and at that moment a big problem arose. The final was scheduled for that same day, but the tournament’s big star had an unpostponable commitment.
Therefore, the BSOP organization at the time chose to postpone the final table to the next day. The other participants did not oppose the decision, as it was common sense that Neymar’s presence would be a great draw for national poker. The footballer finished in 6th place, receiving R$ 79,440.
WSOP bracelet
Two years before this BSOP final table, Neymar had already achieved success in poker. In 2016, he was in Las Vegas during the WSOP. Since there was no time to play the official tournaments, the organization held a special invitational tournament and put a symbolic bracelet up for grabs.
Even as a poker novice, the Brazilian football star ended up on the top of the podium and took the jewel as a gift. Additionally, he received a $10,000 buy-in to play the Main Event but did not register that year.
Later, in 2022, Neymar returned to the world’s main poker series. He played some tournaments and earned his first official cash in the series. It was in the Event #41 $700 NLH Super Bounty, where he finished 49th and received $3,959.
That same year, the legendary Phil Hellmuth met the star and captured the moment with a photo. In the caption, the “Poker Brat,” owner of 17 WSOP bracelets, commented that he was invited to a private game with Neymar. The pro declined, as he was focused at that time on the official tournaments.
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The ‘cash-game’ sessions
Just like on the field, Neymar is also versatile when it comes to poker. He plays both tournaments and ‘cash-game’ sessions. In June 2023, he appeared on an edition of “Hustler Casino Live” in Los Angeles, United States.
However, Neymar did not face amateur players. He faced professionals like Alan Keating and Dan Bilzerian. Other athletes were also at the table, such as NBA player Jimmy Butler and boxer Randy Garcia.
The event was broadcast worldwide and garnered great viewership. Neymar ended the night with a profit of $306,000, with a large part of that amount coming from a single hand against Alan Keating. They ended up in a sequence of bets on the river that left the American pro stunned.
Still regarding the ‘cash-game’ sessions, Neymar partnered with BSOP and together they organize the luxury edition of the Brazilian poker championship, BSOP One. He usually participates in the so-called “Neymar Poker Show,” a friendly competition with friends filled with banter and always lots of laughs.
Results at BSOP One
According to “The Hendon Mob,” Neymar has $116,632 in live tournament earnings. The star’s biggest cash came in December 2025, when he finished an honorable 4th place in the Super High Roller of BSOP One by Neymar Jr.
The contest organized in the series where he was the patron had a buy-in of R$ 100,000 and the result earned a prize of R$ 350,000. The tournament ended with the victory of Brazilian pro Will Arruda. At the time, the veteran player pocketed R$ 878,000, defeating Peruvian Gerardo Rodriquez in the “heads-up.”
Success in online poker
Neymar’s impressive online poker results are not rare. Whenever he can, he swaps cleats and ball for the mouse on PokerStars platforms. One of his main results was 3rd place in the High Roller of the Winter Series in 2022, when he earned $125,000 at the time.
However, the player has faced controversies due to his fondness for online poker. Recently, journalist Leo Dias mentioned that he went out to play poker daily. Neymar responded that he was indeed playing, but the games were online, comfortably at home, while recovering from injuries.
Finally, value should be given to some recent results of the player in this segment. At the end of March, he finished 3rd in Event #129H of SCOOP, earning $41,198. Also that month, the football star also participated in Event #9H of the same series, taking the bronze medal and $23,312.
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