Neymar at PSG: Brazil star's pal reveals all about life in France with striker - EXCLUSIVE
Posted Wednesday, August 29, 2018 by Dailystar.co.uk
When he's not busy pulling defences apart it's emerged Neymar enjoys playing poker.
Brazilian poker pro Andre Akkari taught the 26-year-old all the tricks of the trade to come a top player.
And Akkari, a PokerStars ambassador, has revealed to Daily Star Online that Neymar is so into the game that he is using much of his downtime to play it.
"He plays on Saturday for PSG, on Sunday he plays poker tournaments online," Akkari exclusively told our man at the PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona.
"I believe it's good for him. He can stay in his house with his family and still play.
"He's getting better, he's good. He's probably in the top level of non-professional players. He's improving a lot, he's asking questions every day to get better at poker.
"We discuss hands and strategies but he's a soccer player - he's not a professional poker player. Although I think it helps a lot in the way you make decisions. We talk a lot about that.
"In poker you are looking for the optimum decision every hand, every minute, every second. I don't play soccer but I talk to him about it - and he talks about the micro decision-making aspect of that.
Neymar and to his right Andre Akkari - his friend and poker pro
"Sometimes he forgets about micro decisions and poker is about that."
Yesterday Neymar took to the table to play against ex-Barcelona team-mate Gerard Pique, golfer Sergio Garcia and PSG team-mate Giovani Lo Celso at a charity tournament at the PokerStars European Poker Tour event in Spain.
Neymar reached the final two before being beaten by his mentor Akkari, who won a cash prize for Right to Play, PokerStars' official charity partner.
It was sweet revenge for the poker pro - who often falls victim to Neymar's skills on hit video game Counterstrike.
Neymar took to the table to play against ex-Barcelona team-mate Gerard Pique
Akkari explained: "We keep playing Coutnerstrike every day and he beats me a lot. I said 'now it's my turn' - and it was good. It was good for me."
Neymar is on a mega-bucks contract at PSG and is not motivated by cash playing the game. Instead, it's all about the glory.
"He's not about money, he's about winning trophies. He asked for the trophy yesterday - 'where's the trophy for the first prize?'" Akkari added.
"He just loves to win, to compete. He's just about winning."
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