WSOP Main Event: "Eu sou Brasileiro!!!"

It's a chant more normally heard at soccer matches where Brazil are, typically, crushing the opposition: "Eu sou brasileiro, com muito orgulho, com muito amor" ("I am Brazilian, with a lot of pride, with a lot of love".) But Brazilians are fiercely patriotic, whatever the sport involved, and the World Series of Poker is no exception.



Igor "IgorFederal" Trafrane, 33, from Capinas, near Sao Paolo, came to Las Vegas with a 16-strong troupe of poker-playing buddies. The group play in tournaments all over Brazil together and are firm friends. Igor plus three of the gang - Jose Kurkowski, Leandro Vasconcelos Pimentel and Reinaldo Abramovay - all won seats to the WSOP on PokerStars and a fourth won a satellite event when the group got here.

As it happens, Igor - who is also the Brazilian Omaha champion - survived the longest, making it through to half-way through Day 4, 314th place and $38,759 in prize money. His Brazilian entourage was always just behind him on the rails - shouting encouragement, chanting, cheering and generally having a good old time.

In the breaks, the gang would gather in the outdoor Food Court area - laughing loudly and waving around their Brazilian football shirts and Brazilian flag. The lively South Americans brought a touch of colour and fun to proceedings that was noticiably absent once Igor got knocked out.

Today Igor flies back to his day job - running a chain of language schools - but I know he and his friends will be back next year and I look forward to seeing them. Viva Brasil!!!