Analyzepoker If you’ve missed the latest news about Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar, you’ve certainly missed something! The 31-year-old Brazilian soccer player lost €1 million playing poker at an online casino in March, and after the loss, he had nothing to say but: “I’m going to put this on YouTube”.
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, better known as Neymar, is one of the world’s best soccer players and has an estimated net worth of $200 million. But Neymar isn’t only one of the most admired Brazilians and one of the best strikers in the world, he’s also quite recognized within the gambling industry.
He has regularly been spotted at land-based casinos as well as legit online casinos and has himself expressed a keen interest in poker. It’s hardly something he has tried to hide throughout his career – in February he was spotted at a poker tournament just hours after PSG lost to Bayern. But few expected him to lose €1 million in a poker tournament.
It was during a live stream when the Brazilian put €1 million at stake and lost his entire bet. The game left him saying “oh f*ck” and fake crying while saying he would post the clip on YouTube.
Neymar’s Skills at the Poker Table Can Be Likened to That of a Professional Player
It’s easy to think that all professional soccer players do nothing but train for matches, especially during the big leagues. But the fact is that all soccer players, like all other athletes, need recovery. And many professionals have expressed a certain interest in poker and other casino games. But it’s hardly surprising given that gambling, like football, is an exhilarating activity. It also allows soccer players to exert a little less effort than they need to on the pitch. Therefore, it doesn’t surprise us that much that the PSG star Neymar loves poker.
In fact, Neymar’s impressive efforts at the poker table have been praised by other professionals and promoters. Many believe that he could even make a living as a poker player once his football days are over. But then Neymar lost a million euros – a third of this monthly salary from PSG, and so people began questioning his talent. But massive losses are a fairly common feature of the gambling world – in the end, it’s luck that determines the outcome. So Neymar’s loss doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll stop gambling.
Learn How to Play Like PSG Superstar Neymar
Although Neymar faced a considerable loss, we can’t say that he’s a bad poker player because of that. After all, he’s likened to professional poker players and could reportedly have a career in poker in the future. But how did he become so talented? And what strategies are needed to master poker yourself and play as well as he does?
For starters, no one becomes a professional poker player in a day or two. It requires you to have the patience to play continuously, thus honing your skills in this rather complex card game. Then you have to realize that there’s always a risk of major losses and that you can’t enter a poker tournament with the same attitude as Neymar because you most likely don’t play for one of the best football clubs in the world. Be prepared to lose and make sure that you have a bankroll that’s in line with your finances.
Beyond the basic rules, you’ll also need to learn a bit about different poker strategies. After all, you need to understand how strong your hand is in relation to the likelihood of what your opponents might have, and the arguably most effective way to optimize your chances of winning is to apply a strategy.
Not Everyone Can (Or Should) Become a Pro
That said, there’s a reason why not just anyone can become a professional poker player. There’s also a risk of gambling addiction that you should be aware of before you possibly start aiming for the top. Once money is involved, it’s easy to get carried away and gamble more than you should. Make sure to set limits for your gambling and maintain a healthy attitude towards the card game.
If you enjoy playing poker and want to become as good as Neymar, without the disadvantages that otherwise follow with gambling, you can always play for fun online without putting money into play, or with some close friends of yours. Plus, there are plenty of guides out there for you to immerse yourself in and sharpen your skills!