When Brazilian poker star Andree Akkari sits down on the felt in Barcelona, he feels one thing totally different. It’s not superstition, he insists—“I’m 100% not superstitious”—however it’s the pull of an atmosphere that makes him sharper, calmer, extra alive.
“That is the place the place I really feel good,” he mentioned throughout PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona 2025. “Barcelona is a type of locations the place you play poker and it’s not nearly poker. You go to the seashore, you play volleyball or pickleball with pals, you eat wonderful meals, keep in an unbelievable resort. When that form of atmosphere surrounds a match, my mind works higher—I really feel a lot better. That’s why I’ve achieved nicely right here previously.”
I at all times select buy-ins the place the value excites me, however the danger doesn’t damage me. That “good feeling” retains Akkari smiling even in moments the place others may crumble. He laughed when requested about his seemingly everlasting good temper. It isn’t simply persona, he defined—it’s a choice he made 20 years in the past.
“I by no means play tournaments I shouldn’t play financially,” he mentioned. “I at all times select buy-ins the place the value excites me, however the danger doesn’t damage me. I knew if I saved doing that, even when issues didn’t go my manner, I’d nonetheless be smiling. I wouldn’t really feel the stress. I wouldn’t put my household in danger.”
That combination of self-discipline and perspective colours not solely his poker profession however his life. Akkari has been married for 27 years and proudly mentions his two daughters. “In case you’re not pleased sitting in an unbelievable resort in Barcelona on a Wednesday at 2 p.m., taking part in playing cards in entrance of the seashore… nothing’s gonna make you content,” he mentioned. “Certain, typically I lose a flip or get unfortunate, I’ll complain for quarter-hour. Then I push myself to neglect it and see actuality. I’ve two lovely daughters, a gorgeous spouse—how might I complain?”
Constructing Poker in Brazil
Past the tables, Akkari has turn into one of many catalysts for the explosion of poker in Brazil. As a long-running ambassador for PokerStars, he has seen the sport develop from backroom curiosity to mass pastime. And but, he insists, the height hasn’t arrived.
“Yearly folks ask if that is the max, if poker has reached the height in Brazil,” he mentioned. “And yearly I say no. There are nonetheless so many individuals listening to concerning the sport for the primary time. They don’t ask me what it’s anymore—they ask tips on how to begin, tips on how to handle a bankroll. The curiosity remains to be rising.”
He believes the secret’s storytelling. “Content material is the most effective initiative,” he defined. “Extra media, extra movies, extra vlogs—present folks the lifetime of a poker participant. The novice’s story is usually extra thrilling than the skilled’s—taking a trip with pals or household, taking part in playing cards, having enjoyable. As soon as folks expertise the magic of holding two playing cards and sweating a flop, you don’t have to do a lot else. Poker sells itself.”
For Akkari, the sport can be the final word networking device. “Poker is essentially the most social sport on the planet. You sit with 9 folks from throughout, and that desk may convey you a enterprise companion, a lifelong buddy—even a husband or spouse. That doesn’t occur should you present up at a soccer subject and ask to hitch in, however in poker, you purchase in and instantly you’re a part of one thing.”
Balancing Household and the Grind
Nonetheless, he admits the life of a professional shouldn’t be simple. When he started his profession practically 20 years in the past, he had two new child daughters and funds have been tight. “I missed birthdays, I missed college occasions,” he recalled. “However I informed myself I used to be doing it for them. As success got here, I noticed steadiness was important—giving the whole lot I might whereas additionally defending time with my household.”
That steadiness, he says, is fragile as a result of poker by no means stops. “There are tournaments on-line and reside on a regular basis. If you’d like, you’ll be able to play every single day and neglect the whole lot else. It’s important to be good. It’s important to consider, every single day, how a lot consideration you’re giving to the elements of your life that matter.”
The One Trophy Lacking
Akkari’s résumé is huge: greater than 50,000 tournaments performed, practically 300 victories, a World Collection of Poker bracelet, and a trophy case stuffed with main on-line titles. However one gaping gap stays.
“I’ve by no means received an EPT foremost occasion,” he mentioned with conviction. “I’ve been so shut so many occasions—ultimate tables, deep runs, even fifth place finishes right here in Barcelona. However that’s the one I would like. That’s my dream.”
He credit Brazilian professionals each for pushing him and for preserving him related to the sport’s newest methods. “They’re my pals, they usually’re placing the sport on one other degree. We speak, we overview palms, we push one another to enhance. That’s what retains me chasing it.”
Past Poker
At the same time as his poker life thrives, Akkari has not stood nonetheless away from the felt. He co-owns enterprise ventures, together with the worldwide esports firm FURIA, and has not too long ago turn into hooked on pickleball, which he performs each day.
“If I wasn’t a poker participant, I’d in all probability be chasing pickleball full-time,” he admitted with a smile. “However actually, poker isn’t going away, and I do know I’ll play till my final day. Two days earlier than an occasion, typically I feel, ‘Do I actually need to do that once more?’ However then I arrive, I contact the primary card, and I fall in love over again. I don’t need to cease.”
For now, Barcelona stays town tied to that ongoing love affair—the place the seashores and meals sharpen his thoughts, and the place his biggest unfulfilled aim nonetheless lies ready. “I’ll win one foremost occasion,” Akkari mentioned confidently. “It’s only a matter of time.”
