According to three French poker professionals, superstar soccer player Neymar has the potential to become a professional poker player. Alexandre Réard, Thomas Eychenne, and Julien Sitbon all played with Neymar last week during the Mystery Bounty tournament at the European Poker Tour (EPT) Paris event and got to evaluate his skills in person.
The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) player caused controversy when he took part in the event after his side lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in their first leg round of 16 UEFA Champions League match. His teammate Kylian Mbappé called on PSG players to get plenty of good food and sleep to recover properly following the game. Instead, Neymar played in the EPT Paris tournament into the early hours of the morning and was then spotted at a fast food restaurant.
Neymar appeared to be solid and competent with his gameplay
Neymar ended up in 49th place in the Mystery Bounty tournament, finishing just out of the money. His fellow players noted that the superstar largely kept to himself during the gameplay. The three French professionals were impressed by how Neymar appeared to be solid and competent with his gameplay, especially considering the high standard of players in the tournament.
Thomas Eychenne explained Neymar’s approach as “a rather tight style of play like most professional players.” Eychenne believes that Neymar would have the ability to be a professional player after he retires from football once he improves in certain areas.
Neymar has played in poker tournaments across the world in recent years, including in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Las Vegas. A PokerStars Cultural Ambassador, Neymar often plays online. According to TheHendonMob.com, his live tournament winnings total $32,131.