André Akkari

The greatest symbol of Brazilian poker. Akkari was one of the first players from Brazil and the first to get significant sponsorship within poker. In 2007, he was hired as an ambassador for PokerStars and has become the main face of the site over the years. With more than 15 years of partnership, he is the longest-serving player to have a contract with a brand.

Akkari's fame exploded when he became the second player from Brazil to win a WSOP bracelet, when he won $1,500 Event #43 in the series for $675,117. Shortly thereafter, in 2014, he became the first Brazilian tournament player to surpass the $1,000,000 online profit mark.

Over the years, his business side swallowed his gamer side, and he played less and less online. Live, he started to play only the big series. He gained even more notoriety for his friendship with soccer player Neymar Jr. and for founding the largest electronic sports organization in Latin America, FURIA.

Fourth player with the most money in tournaments in the country (over $3 million), Akkari is one of the main responsible for the growth of poker in Brazil, being recognized as one of the greatest ambassadors of the card game in the world.