The Festival Brings Samba To Malta!
Last week, the iPoker campaign kicked off with a strong showing from Brazil, particularly through ChampionPoker. Among the qualifiers was Patrick Clintas Alves, a player from Rio de Janeiro—the city famous for samba, football, and beaches.
Operator: ChampionPoker
ChampionPoker is one of the operators of the iPoker Network, connected to the online satellites for our next event of The Festival Series Malta. For four weeks already, the iPoker campaign is giving out dozens of packages through various qualifiers, with this week knowing its final stage with 9x €1,850 guaranteed! Besides the online satellites, The Festival Online is also in full swing, giving players from Brazil a platform to try and win an event of The Festival. Will there be many Brazilians in Malta joining us? Let's introduce you to Patrick Clintas Alves!
Brazilian poker is Hot!
In the vibrant world of Brazilian poker, a new talent is making waves—Patrick Alves. Qualifying online through ChampionPoker, Patrick has already set his sights on turning his passion for poker into a professional career. With Brazil becoming a hotbed for top-notch poker players, (Yes, we also see the Brazilian poker flags in all the poker clients :P) we caught up with Patrick to get a glimpse into his journey, his thoughts on the game, and his ambitions for the future.
Brazil is known for having many 'stables' in poker, of which 'Pocarr' is perhaps the most recognized team of poker players. One European poker player is one of the online players supporting this team, and goes by the name of Bert Stevens, aka "Girafganger7'.
Fresh off his victory that secured him a full package for The Festival Series Malta, Patrick was so kind to share with us his candid views on poker as a whole, and what his current career consists of. As our stop in Malta is approaching, we decided it was a good moment to bring some samba into our community! Let's kick it off!
The Festival Series: Hi Patrick! First of all congratulations on your win during one of our satellites for The Festival Malta. It doesn't happen very often that someone of Brazil is qualifying for our event! When thinking of Brazil, it naturally brings up sports in general. The Olympics just came to a close; Do you think poker could be part of the Olympics one day?
Patrick: Hi, nice to meet you! No, I don't think so. We don't sweat, and watching a heads-up or a tournament for hours would be boring to watch.
The Festival Series: Brazil has a reputation for producing top-notch poker players who are known for being formidable opponents. How often do you play poker, and at what level? What do you consider your strongest aspect as a poker player?
Patrick Alves: Well, at the moment I'm struggling with the transition from the mid stakes to the high stakes online. I usually play 4 to 5 days a week, 8 to 12 hours a day. I believe my strongest assets as a poker player is my creativity and open-mindedness. The "always" and "never" in an answer make me frustrated.
The Festival Series: When it comes to Brazil, football is unavoidable. How big of a fan are you, and do you support any club teams?
Patrick Alves: In my country, football is a national passion. Thank God, my father and grandfather made me a 'Tricolor'. I started following Fluminense in 1998, and last year, I was able to take my son to Maracanã for the first time, and watch my team win the Copa Libertadores alongside my father. These kind of moments are priceless.
The Festival Series: If you had to assemble an 11-member team consisting of Brazilian players to play football for the first 45 minutes and poker for the second half, who would be on your team? You can include both poker players and footballers.
Patrick Alves: I would definitely start with Neymar. He is the best Brazilian player of the last decade and even played poker recreationally at a competitive level. To pair with him, I would call on Frederico Chaves Guedes, also known as Fred. Two days ago, I saw that Bert 'Girafganger7' Stevens was at Maracanã dressed in a Flu shirt, so he would be my third pick. Then I’d consider teammates like 'xisdegr', 'marma07', 'biazutti', 'malako_ricci', and 'akarosa'. I would also include 'pemachadorj' and 'luizftorres14'. My goalkeeper would be the endless 'fabiogoleiroofficial'. I’m sure this team would be a force to be reckoned with, both on the pitch and at the poker table.
The Festival Series: Lastly, can you explain a bit about Flow Poker team?
Patrick Alves: Here in Brazil, we have a culture of poker teams, which has significantly contributed to the growth of the poker scene in the country. Flow Poker team is part of this culture.
The Festival Series - Malta (September 8-15
Will you join Patrick Alves in his journey to Malta? Check out any of the operators connected to iPoker, and get your full package or Main Event seat in the bag! It is the final week of the special iPoker Malta Campaign, with a whopping 6x €550 Main Event seats up for grabs, and a majestic 9x €1,850 full packages to be won with the weekly final on Sunday, August 18. It is the largest guaranteed prize pool in an online satellite for The Festival Series in our humble history. Make sure to not miss out!
Full package information:
- Hotel "JL Hotel" or similar / 6 nights 9th - 15th September (You can choose between Single/Double/TWIN room)
- All breakfasts included
- 1x €550 The Festival Malta 2024 Main Event
- 1x €Hospitality package (please note this is for 1 person)
- 1x The Festival Cap
- 1x €250 for expenses (credited to your player account)
