How Neymar lost 1M € playing online poker

Although it seemed that the famous PSG player lost a million euros playing poker, it was all a hoax, a viral marketing strategy with Neymar Jr. as the protagonist.

It had the expected effect, as the Brazilian's reaction soon became a trend and went viral on the network, generating first disbelief, and then bewilderment at what seemed to be a perfect marketing strategy that had worked like a charm.

And the fact is that the data was devastating: it is a video in which the player appeared in the flesh losing the amount equivalent to 20% of the gross income he receives per month.

Neymar and poker: history of a hobby

Neymar Jr. and poker have always had an intense love-hate relationship. The Brazilian is an avowed poker fan and enjoys playing high stakes games. Over the years he has been tanning and his evolution has been followed in all the games broadcasted that have had the player as the protagonist of the table.

However, the standard of living that the player leads and the gross income he receives have made the news take on a new dimension precisely because of Neymar's reaction, who after a few moments in which he assimilated what seemed like the loss of a big pot, began to laugh until he uttered the phrase "as if he had lost a penny", which triggered a whole series of reactions on social networks. Reactions that, of course, have been meme fodder.

There are many rivals who have had the honor of sharing a table with the Brazilian. Some have shared things about his style of play and how he faces some confrontations. Having made his debut in the World Series in Las Vegas, and after taking part in some high-level competitions, Neymar Jr. has been acquiring an interesting background that is worth analyzing.

One of those who has analyzed Neymar Jr.'s game is Thomas Eychenne, who defines the Brazilian as "introverted", someone who always tries to keep a low profile knowing that he is very recognizable and always seeks not to draw attention to himself, traits that he imprints on his game.

His style of play is based on competitiveness, consistency and solidity. He lacks the skills to measure himself against the best, in his opinion, but he says he has the resources and the ability to go one step further.

It is not the impression that took Martí Roca, professional player who rose with the maximum award in the World Series of Poker of Europe, managing to get more than a million euros in prizes.

According to his experience, Roca and Neymar Jr. have coincided in the Casino of Barcelona. The Catalan remembers the Brazilian as a "soft" player, although he does appreciate that he respected the unwritten rules of poker and his common sense, which led him not to x-ray his game.

Although that impression of a soft player may have changed over time, it seems clear that the room for improvement is evident in Neymar Jr. Poker is a game that requires skill and a lot of dedication to be mastered. Something that, on the other hand, is even clearer if we take into account that the high-stakes game seems to have been too big for the Brazilian.

Has Neymar really lost a million euros?

When Neymar is playing poker, he usually does it in front of the cameras. He is fond of broadcasting his games on Twitch and allows his followers to live in the moment his poker experience, seeing first-hand reactions, plays and bets. That automatically lends credibility to the video in which he is seen losing a million euros. However, speculation has started to gain weight and soon there has been talk of such a loss being a fake, orchestrated allegedly for promotional purposes to demonstrate the impact of high stakes on high stakes players. But the effect of last week's broadcast was the same: it shocked all the fans, who saw how the Brazilian seemed genuinely disappointed by the loss of such a sum of money.

Although only those who have access to the Twitch channel can enjoy Neymar's poker moves, the viralization of his reaction has led to the networks being flooded with montages and comments related to the play. Whether or not it is true that such a loss has taken place, the impact has been on the community, which is extremely active in several countries around the world.

Considering the assessments of players such as Eychenne's, which we have just seen and which defines the Brazilian as constant, but with room for improvement, it would not be strange to associate this loss to the impetuosity of the moment. But it also fits the theory of promotional marketing, so we can't take anything for granted.

Neymar Jr. has proven to be a good poker player in games with smaller stacks. One of the PSG player's best moves still lingers in the minds of many, where he was able to hit a royal flush, winning a prize of 17.810 € and raising his stack to almost 75.000 € after that round. Of course, those figures are a far cry from the 1M € that the PSG player has allegedly lost.

A few days after the player's reaction went viral, many youtubers and content creators have addressed the issue on their respective channels. Is it a bad move, or an extraordinary and effective promotional campaign? The controversy is on the table.