A smattering of sports stars are to head to Barcelona, to take part in the on-going PokerStars European Poker Tour EPT, as the European poker festivals welcomes in excess of 4,000 people.
Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil global superstar Neymar Jr, is to be joined by Barcelona defender Gerard Pique and Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia at EPT Barcelona (which runs from August 21- September 2 at Casino Barcelona), which features a buy-in of €25,000.
Being no stranger to the poker table, Neymar first featured at the event three years ago, whilst during PokerStars sponsored Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP), held in São Paulo in July of this year, Neymar finished 6th in the super high roller event, cashing R$79,440 ($21,470), with a total of 288 entries.
Pique, who is playing for the Colombian charity Barefoot Foundation, finished with his best result at last years EPT Barcelona at 5th in the €25,500 no limit hold’em for €129,350, stated: “I love playing poker and the PokerStars European Poker Tour in Barcelona is one of the best tournaments in the world, right here in my beautiful home city. It’s fantastic to be here, win or lose.”
Neymar who is also to be joined by his brother, is playing for The Neymar Jr Project Institute which offers free classes for football, volleyball, swimming, judo, basketball, reading, languages, music, dance and information technology, to around 2,300 under privileged children between 7-14 years old in São Paulo.
García will be playing for The Sergio Garcia Foundation, which contributes to the social inclusion of economically deprived children and youth, through social assistance benefits, and the practice of sport as free-time activity, supporting a large variety of non-government organisations and humanitarian associations.
The sport-stars will be joined by PokerStars ambassador Andre Akkari, who will be playing for Right to Play, PokerStars’ official charity partner, who use the power of play to educate and empower children facing adversity across the globe.
