Soccer Ace Neymar Denied PokerStars Titans Event Victory
October 23, 2024 Matthew Pitt Senior Editor
Brazilian soccer sensation Neymar "neymar-jr" Jr. came 💰 agonizingly close to taking down the latest edition of theR$5,200 Titans Event at PokerStars this weekend, ultimately having to make 💰 do with a runner-up finish. Although Neymar collectedR$66,056 for his bridesmaid finish, he will be bitterly disappointed not to have 💰 come out on top and added the Titans Event title to his long list of personal accomplishments.
Neymar fans will likely 💰 see more of their hero at the live and virtual felts in the coming months because he faces a spell 💰 on the sidelines. Last week, while representing his country in a World Cup qualifying game against Uruguay, Neymar landed awkwardly 💰 and left the field in tears on a stretcher. Tests later confirmed a meniscus tear injury to Neymar's knee and 💰 a season-ending Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear. Neymar faces up to a year in the treatment room.
Soccer's loss looks to 💰 be poker's gain. Neymar decided to fire up PokerStars on October 22 and flick in theR$5,200 buy-in for the Titans 💰 Event. It was a drop in the ocean for the man who recently put pen to paper on a two-year 💰 deal worth a reportedR$219 million annually. But as Team PokerStars' Rafael Moraes revealed to PokerNews last year, Neymar does not 💰 play poker for the money; he just wants to win.
$5,200 Titans Event Final Table Results
Rank Player Country Prize 1 Dominykas 💰 "Mikensonas" Mikolaitis LithuaniaR$91,663 2 Neymar "neymar-jr" Jr. BrazilR$66,056 3 drew.derzh UkraineR$47,602 4 Rajadanaativ BrazilR$34,304 5 Christian "WATnlos" Rudolph AustriaR$24,720 6 💰 Benjamin "bencb789" Rolle AustriaR$17,814 7 Stumpfed CanadaR$12,837
This weekend's Titan Event saw 59 entries processed, a lower than usual number, partly 💰 because many of the tournament's regulars were traveling home from the PokerStars European Poker Tour Cyprus festival. The compact field 💰 meant only the top seven finishers received some of theR$295,000 prize pool.
"Jesper8" was the only player to reach the final 💰 table but not bank any prize money for their efforts. Canadian "Stumpfed" was the first casher, their seventh-place finish coming 💰 with aR$12,837 payday.
The final table lost two Goliaths in succession. First, Benjamin "bencb789" Rolle bowed out in sixth forR$17,814 before 💰 Christian "WATnlos" Rudolph ran out of luck; Rudolph's fifth-place finish earned himR$24,720.
Fourth place andR$34,304 went to Brazil's "Rajadanaativ" before "drew.derzh" 💰 joined the ever-growing list of casualties. Third place came with an impressiveR$47,602 haul for the Ukrainian.
Dominykas Mikolaitis
Heads-up pitted Neymar against 💰 Lithuania's Dominykas "Mikensonas" Mikolaitis. Both players were now guaranteed at leastR$66,000 for their performances, but the all-important title and an 💰 additionalR$35,000 awaited the champion. Brazil has never faced Lithuania on the soccer field in a competitive setting, so the inaugural 💰 battle took place at the PokerStars tables. The crocked Neymar had to settle for second place this time around, which 💰 was worthR$66,056, leaving Mikolaitis to bankR$91,663 and a cool story about defeating a soccer icon.
Neymar The Poker-Loving Soccer Star
The Titans 💰 Event is not the first time Neymar has come close to becoming a poker champion. In January 2024, during the 💰 Winter Series, Neymar collectedR$23,884 for a third-place finish in aR$1,050 turbo event. Another third-place finish, this time in theR$10,300 High 💰 Roller, earned NeymarR$125,678.
Later that year, Neymar made his World Series of Poker (WSOP) debut after buying into theR$10,000 Limit Hold'em 💰 Championship. Neymar failed to cash, but he reached the money places less then a week later, with a 49th place 💰 finish in theR$1,000 Super Turbo Bounty event.
During the Super Turbo Bounty, as the money bubble burst, security staff almost ejected 💰 Neymar from the tournament area. Neymar was stood chatting to some friends, including Team PokerStars' Andre Akkari, when a member 💰 of the security team, unaware Neymar was one of the entrants. Thankfully, Neymar was not thrown out on his ear 💰 and went on to earn his first WSOP cash.
Try out the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar and find your perfect PokerStars 💰 tournament. Apply filters to narrow down your search before hitting the tables and becoming a PokerStars champion.
What Next for Neymar?
Neymar 💰 has plenty of time of his hands while he recovers from surgery on his ACL and then during his recouperation. 💰 It would not surprise anyone to see the soccer icon head to Sao Paulo this November for the Brazilian Series 💰 of Poker (BSOP) Millions festival. Neymar finished sixth in a High Roller event at the 2024 edition of the festival, 💰 earning his first recorded live cash. As Neymar is recovering in his native Brazil, it would make perfect sense for 💰 him to make the most of his time away from soccer and to hone his skills at the felt.
Knowing Neymar's 💰 fondness for glitz and glam, perhaps the PokerStars NAPT Las Vegas series would be more up his street?
Sharelines Neymar is 💰 a born winner, but he had to make do with a runner-up finish in the PokerStars Titans Event.
