Rousso joined the professional poker tour in April 2006, and by October was among the top 80 in earnings that year. In her first year of playing, Rousso had multiple in the money tournament finishes, including a seventh-place finish in a field of 605 at the $25,000 April 26, 2006 World Poker Tour (Season four) No-Limit Hold'em championship. Big Dude Tour 'I had a trip of a lifetime thanks to the amazing tour guide (Zoe) who made our Brazil trip memorable. It was a great value for money and she was accommodating in making suggestions to maximize our time and resources. Zoe was knowledgeable, friendly, took time to get to know us and made sure we have absolute fun during the tour. Sexton was a longtime commentator for World Poker Tour, which hosts international televised tournaments, with broadcasting partner Vince Van Patten. As a player, he won nearly $7 million since his. Free Texas Holdem Poker the way YOU want to play! Join the world’s most popular online Poker game with more tables, more Poker tournaments, and more people to challenge.

History of Poker in Brazil

While this write-up will focus on the biggest poker playing country in the region, in addition to Brazil I will be examining the entire South American region, as well as touching upon Latin American countries.

Brazil, and all of South America for that matter, is another new entry into the world of poker, and following the Internet explosion, South American poker started to take off with Brazil at the forefront. By 2008 poker had a firm foothold in the region, and PokerStars.com even created the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) which has been growing by leaps and bounds since it came on the scene in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in March of 2008.

Now that Brazil and the rest of South America has become a desirable destination for poker players from around the world, Brazilians are starting to make their presence felt in the global poker world.

Famous Brazilian Poker Players

With such a short history in the world of poker, Brazil and South America haven’t produced a slew of big names, but there are quite a few up and coming stars that hail from South America. With the LAPT allowing South American players to compete in major tournaments, the top talent from the area now has a place to shine, and display their poker prowess. In just four years the LAPT has produced such notable names as Alexander Gomes, Andre Akkari, and Felipe Ramos, and when including the entire South American continent names like Argentineans Jose “Nacho”Barbero, Leo Fernandez, and Veronica Dabul can also be added to the list.

The big names in South American poker Alexander Gomes and “Nacho” Barbero, both of whom have won millions over the last few years at poker tournaments around the world.

Here is a look at the top South American poker players as well as some of their accomplishments:

Jose “Nacho” Barbero

• Two-time LAPT winner
• Approaching $2 million in career tournament earnings
• 2010 EPT London High-Roller winner
• Team PokerStars Pro

Alexander Gomes

• Over $3.4 million in career tournament earnings
• 2009 WPT Bellagio Cup winner
• 2008 WSOP bracelet winner
• Two-time EPT Main Event final table participant

Andre Akkari

• Team PokerStars Pro
• 2011 WSOP bracelet winner
• Nearly $1 million in career tournament earnings
• One of the top online poker tournament players

Felipe Ramos

• Nearly $500k in career tournament earnings
• Plays under the screen-name “Mojave” online
• One of the most feared internet poker players
• Full Tilt Poker Red Pro

Veronica Dabul

Brazil Poker Tournaments

• Considered the top female player in South America
• 12 WSOP cashes on her resume
• Won 2009 charity event at LAPT Playa Conchal
• Nearly $200k in career tournament earnings

Online Poker in Brazil

Latin America and South America are the new emerging markets for online poker sites, and the game has quickly caught on in the region. While laws differ from country to country, playing online poker in South America is perfectly legal for the players, and no player has ever faced any form of prosecution for playing online poker. On the other hand, since very few laws have been passed regarding online poker, most online poker rooms are skirting local laws in South American countries.

Thanks to the foresight of PokerStars, which saw the emerging market well before their competitors, the largest online poker site in the world has a strong hold on online poker in the region. With the PokerStars LAPT now in its fourth season, PokerStars is the most recognizable brand in central and South America.

Besides PokerStars, a few other online poker rooms have managed to grab a piece of the South American market-share; here is a look at the top 3:

• Largest online poker site in the world
• Team PokerStars Argentina: Jose “Nacho” Barbero and Leo Fernandez
• Team PokerStars Brazil: Andre Akkari and Gaulter Salles

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• Member of the Merge Gaming Network, the largest US-friendly online poker network
• Over 25 sponsored poker pros including Latin players Frederico Silva, Ricardo Pereria, Miguel Tavares, and Emmanuel Ferreria
• Massive 200% deposit bonus up to $1,200 for South American players

Brazil Poker Tournaments 2019

• One of the longest-standing online gaming sites
• Known for very loose games
• Strong branding in Central and South America

Where to play poker in Brazil

There are only about eight casinos throughout the entire country of Brazil, and even though poker’s popularity is on the rise, Brazilian casinos are not the gaming Mecca like you’ll find in other countries.

Most of the casinos are located in the major metropolitan areas like Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Florianopolois, with a few other smaller card-rooms located in some more out-of-the-way areas of the vast country.

Brasil Poker Tournaments

The major Latin and South American hotspot for poker is still located in Costa Rica, with Argentina and Chile also becoming hot poker destinations in recent years.

Poker laws in Brazil

While laws vary from country to country in Latin and South America, I will focus on perhaps the strictest country when it comes to poker laws: Brazil. Basically, this is the strictest country in the region when it comes to laws governing poker, so any other country you visit or reside in will have far laxer laws.

Poker in Brazil is a dicey proposition as all casino games are forbidden in the country except in licensed establishments that use loopholes to offer the barest form of poker, which have become known as poker associations. These associations circumvent the 1960’s era law forbidding casino games by focusing on tournament poker almost exclusively –which seems to reside in a legal gray area in Brazil.

There are currently a number of measures working their way through the Brazilian legislature that would legalize poker in the country. However, the Brazilian legislature works at a very slow-pace, so it may still be some time before any of these measures are put in place.

Beloved poker commentator and champion Mike Sexton, nicknamed the 'Ambassador of Poker' for his lifelong promotion of the game, has died at 72.

World Poker Tour and partypoker, an online poker company Sexton cofounded, confirmed his death. Fellow poker champ Linda Johnson said Sexton 'had been battling prostate cancer' that had spread to other organs shortly before his death.

Sexton had a hand in every aspect of poker -- broadcast, business and the game itself. Surviving poker greats say the game wouldn't be as successful as it is today without his influence.

Sexton was a longtime commentator for World Poker Tour, which hosts international televised tournaments, with broadcasting partner Vince Van Patten.

As a player, he won nearly $7 million since his debut in the 1980s. His competitors hardly winced when he'd take their chips because he was so widely liked, actress and poker player Jennifer Tilly tweeted after learning of his death.

After nearly 15 years of commentating for World Poker Tour, Sexton won his own World Poker Tour title in 2016. That victory was special for how long it took Sexton to achieve it -- something out of a movie, partypoker player Jaime Staples tweeted.

He wrote two books, founded a nonprofit for players to donate to veterans causes and Las Vegas communities, and created partypoker. Sexton coached Little League baseball and even skipped poker tournaments if they interfered with his baseball schedule. In 2008, he had a son, Ty, at age 61.

One year after his son's birth, he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. It was one of the highest honors he'd received in his career, he said, second only to the World Poker Tour's decision to rename its Champions Cup after him.

In a tribute blog, pro Phil Hellmuth said the game is indebted to Sexton.

'Poker would not be as well regarded as it currently is without Mike Sexton,' Hellmuth wrote. 'Mike has been the consummate gentleman, and has championed poker better than anyone else.'

Upon learning of his death, many of Sexton's friends and fans have shared Sexton's famous sign-off: 'May all of your cards be live, and may all of your pots be monsters.'