888poker is gearing up the second annual “8-Team” competition kicking off on Day 1C of the 2018 World Series of Poker Main Event, which will take place on Wednesday. Seven teams – each representing a different country and consisting of a captain, wingman, and a qualifier – will participate in the competition, which will see the team with the most points win three seats into the 2019 WSOP Main Event.
Last year, Team Brazil won it when Joao Sousa Monteiro, who qualified for the Main Event via a $30 satellite, finished in 583rd place for $22,449. This year, Team Brazil looks to go back-to-back led by captain Vivi Saliba, wing woman Bruna Unzueta, and online qualifier Pedro Correa, the lone man on the team.
From Trading Stocks to Stacking Chips
Up until last year, the 34-year-old Correa worked in the financial markets as a trader. Having learned poker back in 2006 while at university (he actually learned via Phil Hellmuth’s book), he’d always appreciated the similarities between the game and stock markets.
The former No. 1 Brazilian ranked player on PocketFives (he’s ranked top 15 this year), Correa has more than $3 million in online cashes. This year alone, he placed second in a major Sunday tournament, won two others, and has a slew of other final table appearances. He also finished runner-up in the $215 Sunday Mega Deep on 888poker last month.
In the live realm, he’s amassed $225,134 in winnings including a career-best $127,264 for winning the 2013 Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP) Sao Paulo. More recently, he took sixth in the 2018 BSOP Sao Paolo for $23,194.
“I’m taking this year to play while I managed my own money in the markets, but I’m still looking for a job in my area,” Correa said as he headed to Vegas in search of more poker success. “Since I’m having some very good results online, I´m enjoying this break a lot.”
Next Stop, Vegas and the 8-Team
This break isn’t just a vacation for Correa. He’s actually been to Vegas plenty of times and has played the WSOP Main Event every year except once, since 2014. That was the year he also placed 23rd in the WSOP Event #60: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em for $17,577. He’s still seeking his first cash in the Main Event.
He’ll get his chance this year - thanks to the 8-Team competition, something he set his sights on when it returned for the 2018 WSOP. “I liked the format and the chance to win a package for next year’s event,” he said when asked why he went for it.
So where does Correa get his poker chops?
“I learn a lot from Patrick ‘Pads’ Leonard and “Bencb” because they take the game to next level every time I listen to them,” he said. “Brazil has a lot of good players, difficult to name who is best, but I really like Thiago Crema; he is very good.”
When asked if he feels a heavy responsibility to represent Brazil in the Main Event, Correa was calm, cool and collected. “Not really, I just want to play my A-game and try to make a deep run.”
You can get a behind-the-scenes look at Correa’s run in the WSOP Main Event by following him on Twitter at @pedrohennn.
