The rail was so rowdy they broke the stage.
The $50,000 Poker Players Championship was going on in one corner and Daniel Negreanu was at his first final table of the summer in the other.
None of the noise was coming from those tournaments though. The $50K Championship didn’t even have a single railbird and Negreanu was relegated to the secondary feature table.
The main stage was ablaze with passion because a Brazilian was heads-up for a bracelet.
They cheered, they chanted, they danced, they drank.
Another Bracelet for Brazil
Then they exploded after Thiago Nishijima won the Event #38: $3,000 NLHE.
After a four-year drought, Nishijima became Brazil’s third World Series of Poker Champion.
Nishijima won $546,843 and his first WSOP bracelet.
“I've waited for this moment all my career,” said Nishijima. “It’s a dream come true.”
Nishijima has been playing professionally since 2006 and played in his first WSOP in 2007.
Nishijima didn’t cash that year or the next one, but he finished 67th in a $1,500 NLHE event in 2009.
He final tabled the same event the following year but missed out on the bracelet after he was eliminated in 3rd .
Nishijima then scored a number of cashes throughout the years but never got as close to a bracelet as he did in 2009.
Until today.
Good Sportsmanship from Koutoupas
Nishijima made the final table third in chips yesterday but finished the day with the lead.
The final five players came back today and Nishijima rode his lead to victory.
“I beat a really tough field,” said Nishijima. “It was a really tough final table.”
Nishijima’s final hurdle to victory was Sotirios Koutoupas, who couldn’t overcome a heads-up chip and rail deficit.
Koutoupas was a good sport about it though.
“[Koutoupas] was a special guy,” said Nishijima.
“Everybody was rooting for me and he was OK with that. He joked with my rail too. It was fun, it was good sportsmanship.”
And Nishijima’s rail was impossible to ignore for anyone within earshot of the Amazon Room.
Nishijima: "I Couldn't Let Them Down."
“I have to thank all the Brazilian support,” said Nishijima.
“I couldn’t let them down. They made a huge difference. It’s all about energy and feeling confidence and they helped me play the best I can play.”
This wasn’t the first time Brazilians have taken the main stage over this summer.
Just a few days ago, two Brazilians made the final table of the Monster Stack.
The boisterous rail was ramping up but didn’t reach the peak it did today after the two Brazilians fell in 8th and 7th place.
They didn’t have to wait long for another chance to go full force. The Brazilians jumped and cheered so loud today they loosened up one of the walls and it had to be repaired.
Chances are they’ll be back soon too.
“Brazil is growing up in poker,” said Nishijima. “We started later compared to here but we have talent you know.
“We know how to play this game and we are getting even better, so lots of Brazilians are going to make the final table.”
Security protecting the slightly broken stage.
Visit www.pokerlistings.com