SCOOP 2021 interview: Fagner “FagnerCR7” Brito one step closer to ambition of turning pro

Fagner “FagnerCR7” Brito doesn’t usually play Omaha games. But after an exciting two days of intense PLO action, he earned the right to call himself a SCOOP champion. Now, Brito is one step closer to his ambition of being a professional poker player.

Following a heads-up deal, Brito won the 14-L: $11 PLO (6-max) for $7,716. The PokerStars Blog caught up with the 30-year old Brazilian to find out more:

PS Blog: Talk me through your SCOOP win. Was there anything different that you did this time? What obstacles did you run into?

Fagner Brito: To start with, I almost never play PL Omaha tournaments. I usually play more No Limit Hold em. As there are three tournaments with extremely different buy-ins, I knew that the field would be softer, or at least at the same level as me.

I had moments of luck, including a hand at the final table. But I played like never before. I pressed and was able to let go when necessary.

PS Blog: How did you start playing poker? And how long was it before you played your first major event like SCOOP?

FB: I started playing poker on Facebook, a little game I had there. Then I started to play live in a club in my city. I accumulated some trophies across different cities. I believe I have won around 25 trophies for tournaments over 4 years.

At the same time I was playing on PokerStars. I had a lot of flashes, but always came out negative, and have been hitting the post a lot in tournaments for some time. I believe that it is the second or third time that I played a SCOOP event.

PS Blog: What things did you learn that really changed your game for the better?

FB: Well, I learned that persistence is the key to everything. Adding a little luck and a solid strategy, you can get far. I stayed focused and woke up determined to follow that. But the experience of being in such a tournament is something that I will take with me for my entire life.

PS Blog: What was the key moment in the SCOOP tournament – the moment you realised you could win the whole thing?

FB: Wow, there was one moment that I even closed my eyes for. On Day 2, I called the river with a pair, and (if I had lost) would be left with just three big blinds. Due to the fact that I played with the player a little earlier, I figured he was bluffing. I paid and closed my eyes. When I opened them, the chips were coming to me.

My heart accelerated, but at that moment I became the leader chip. And then, I had the feeling that I would win. But first of all, I already woke up to that feeling and I trusted that.

PS Blog: What now? Will this change your approach to the game? Will anything be different for you?

FB: Yes. I’ll be able to play bigger events a little bit and pursue my goals. I feel that I have evolved a lot in Omaha. I saw things that I haven’t seen before. There were some very good players, but I felt very comfortable, and I think there were some with less solid gameplay than me. But it will change a lot.

PS Blog: Finally, can you tell me a little about yourself? Your age, your job, where you live and what that’s like. Your poker ambitions, or just for life in general.

FB: I’m 30 years old, from BA-Brazil. Today I live in Boa Nova. It was here that I met my girlfriend, and we live together. It was also here that I spiked the tournament.

My profession is Jewelry Designer, but due to the moment in the whole world, I am not exercising the function. I usually work selling jewelry and watches.

My ambition is to stay focused and to be a professional poker player. It changed my life a lot to win this tournament. In such a difficult time the money was very welcome. But mainly it’s great to be recognized. I always dreamed of winning a SCOOP event, and yesterday I woke up predestined to that.