Posted on: August 10, 2023, 08:10h. 

Last updated on: August 10, 2023, 08:10h.

The poker ecosystem in Latin America is going to raise the bar on live tournament events if everything goes according to plan. In January of next year, the Kings Series of Poker (KSOP) GGPoker South America will take place in Brazil, and is billed as the largest poker event ever seen in the region. A total of BRL35 million (US$7.1 million) in guaranteed prize money will be on the table.

The event, which will last 15 days, will take place in Rio de Janeiro, in the beachside town of Barra da Tijuca. Players will have a chance to participate in more than 70 events, including a BRL$100,000 (US$20,000) Super High Roller.

There's also a BRL5,000 (US$1,000) Main Event, with a guaranteed prize pool of BRL10 million (US$2 million). The winner will automatically pocket BRL2 million (US$408,000) guaranteed on top of his or her winnings.

Raising the Poker Bar In South America

The tournament series promises to “shake up the poker community like never before in Brazil,” according to a KSOP press release. It added that the Super High Roller will be the “most glamorous event” and will feature “Brazilian stars and international poker stars.”

BIG NEWS
We have just announced the largest ever Poker event in South American history.

-35M GTD across 70+ events
– 100k Super High Roller (first ever)
– 5k ME 10M GTD 2M to winner

Jan 24/2024 for 15 days in Rio de Janeiro at the best venue possible by the beach of Barra da…

— Felipe Mojave Ramos (@FelipeMojave) August 8, 2023

Felipe “Mojave” Ramos, fourth on the Brazilian all-time poker money list and a GGPoker ambassador, tweeted about the event on X, the newest iteration of Twitter. He said that the tournament would be an excellent opportunity for players, especially since there would be no direct taxes on winnings. In addition, there will be events for all budgets, making them accessible to a wide range of players.

The upcoming series is a continuation of a partnership between GGPoker and KSOP that began at the beginning of the year. The first series took place in Rio de Janeiro from February 8 to 14, part of a planned schedule of seven stages throughout the year in different Latin American countries. Five of these are live events, while the other two are online.

Poker Calendar Filling Up

Despite a reduction in participation in certain events, the recent World Series of Poker (WSOP) series in Las Vegas, which reportedly set new attendance records, shows that there's no shortage of interest. As a result, the global poker calendar is becoming increasingly packed with events.

The Maryland State Poker Championship is currently underway and the WSOP Europe is coming this October. The WSOP Europe Main Event might not yet be ready to award the winner the $12 million the WSOP Vegas Main Event did, but it's getting there.

The tournament, returning to the Czech Republic, offers a guaranteed prize pool of €5 million ($5.51 million). Last year's WSOP Europe Main Event topped the guarantee by $2.3 million.

The PokerStars Live European Poker Tour (EPT), which has already completed stops in France and Monte Carlo, will also descend on Barcelona from August 21 to September 3. It then moves to Cyprus in October and Prague in December.