It’s been a banner few months for Brazilian online poker players. Rounders from the land of samba and sun have scored massive tournament wins on some of the game’s biggest stages.
As the sixth most-populous country, Brazil represents a growing market apparently with plenty of talent. Partypoker recognizes that and recently announced the signing of Yuri “theNERDguy” Dzivielevski as a site ambassador.
The company didn’t just sign any Brazilian player, Dzivielevski is currently the top-ranked online tournament player in the world. The Brazilian star spoke with PokerScout this week about his poker life and new deal with partypoker.
“It’s a very special moment in my career,” he says. “It will be an honor for me to represent a brand I admire. I am very happy.”
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Climbing the poker rankings
Dzivielevski began playing poker after his brother first introduced him to the game. Playing home games with friends became part of his normal routine and he had a knack for the game. His poker skills eventually helped his family out.
After leaving high school, he began making a living from poker to help his parents out. Those early days grinding it out online proved to be some great learning opportunities and his career soon skyrocketed.
He’s one of the most successful poker players in Latin America with online winnings totaling $14 million. That’s a record for any player based in Latin America.
Beyond the virtual felt, the 29-year-old has $1.2 million in live tournament winnings. In 2019 he even added a World Series of Poker bracelet to his trophy case. He took down a $2,500 Mixed Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo event for $213,750.
A year later, the WSOP Online produced another bracelet after Dzivielevski won the $400 PLOSSUS for $221,557. The partypoker signing now becomes another nice bullet point in his career.
“This is a dream come true,” he says. “Joining partypoker is one of the most important achievements in my career and I am very excited to work with them.”
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Joining the partypoker crew
Dzivielevski’s Team partypoker signing comes just as WPT World Online Championships are playing out at the site. Along with representing the brand, he’ll be a regular face on partypoker’s Twitch channel, partypokerTV.
That work includes contributing to daily shows as well as streaming some new content of his own. Additionally, the Brazilian pro will run exclusive streamed tournaments.
In an age when so many online players stream their action, playing on Twitch will be a new experience.
“I actually don’t have a streaming channel, but I’ll be streaming weekly on partypoker Brazil,” he says. “My team and I will work together to give viewers the best possible content and I can’t wait to get started.”
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Sharpening his skills
Maintaining a ranking atop the entire world’s pool of online poker talent certainly isn’t easy. How does “theNERDguy” work on his game? It involves less actual play at the tables than one might imagine, but there’s plenty of hitting the books.
“I make sure I have some kind of interaction with poker every day, whether playing or studying,” he says. ”I try to play two to three times a week and study on the other days. I don’t have an exact number of hours that I devote to studying, but I study on demand.”
Working with other poker-playing friends is also a major part of his preparation. He set up a study group with some friends in Brazil. The team splits the work and manages to cover most areas of the game, he says.
When not at the tables, Dzivielevski enjoys spending time with family, studying the Bible, surfing, and going to the gym. Drinking wine and eating some nice meals are also regularly on the menu.
Already with two WSOP bracelets, the WPT World Online Championships now offer another opportunity. He remains confident in his chances during the series, with good reason based on results.
“Winning a WPT title would be amazing,” he says. “In fact, it will be amazing! WPT series are such an important part of poker and I love to watch WPT events on TV, so this would be particularly special for me.
“A lot of good things will come from this partnership with partypoker and I’m sure we will create amazing things together.”
* photos courtesy partypoker