Day One of the SiGMA Poker Tour São Paulo 2026 saw the opening round delivered with energy, bringing together competitive poker gameplay and entertainment-focused tournament experiences that are characteristic of SiGMA. The action took place at the Monte Carlo Poker Club, located inside the Hilton São Paulo Morumbi, creating an atmosphere indicative of what is to come over the remaining days of the event.
Promo Day exceeds expectations
With the focus of the Main Event flights shifting to the final flights, the groundwork for success was laid yesterday (Thursday), with Promo Day 1 strategically successful. This was primarily to attract local players, as the buy-in was reduced to BRL 2,000 (down from the standard BRL 2,500), but players had access to the same tournament structure.
The number exceeded expectations: there were 100 entries and 34 re-entries, for a total of 134 entries for the flight, validating the initiative and highlighting the importance of creating multiple entry points through affordable access to increase participation in Brazilian poker.
In addition to the numbers, the atmosphere was impressive: the venue was transformed into a vibrant social space, complete with entertainment, food and drink, live violins, and an Elvis impersonator, creating a high-energy environment that extended beyond the tables and reflected SiGMA’s overall approach to experiential poker events.
Fifteen players had successfully tagged and purchased their chips at the end of Sunday’s daytime play and moved on to the second day of play on Sunday. However, flexibility is still an important aspect of the tournament format. Players may opt to buy back into another Day 1 flight after the first day of competitive play, using the “choose your stack” rule to use their best result from all days as their chip stack.
Main Event action underway
Building on this momentum, Friday marked the start of Main Event Day 1A, drawing a steady flow of players throughout the day. With registration remaining open into the later stages, final participation figures are yet to be confirmed, though early indications point to another solid turnout. As the evening approached, the pace intensified with the launch of Day 1B Turbo at 20:00.
This accelerated format paves a quicker path to Day 2, attracting players who thrive on a dynamic, efficient tournament experience. Additionally, the variety of entry points enhances engagement, fostering a vibrant and competitive atmosphere as the tournament unfolds. Exciting times lie ahead!
Classic SiGMA atmosphere
There was an anticipated additional activity available to attendees on Friday evening, such as playing a game, thereby confirming once again the hybrid nature of this series, which is both professional networking functions and poker tournaments. For example, the players and industry professionals were provided with casual drink opportunities to continue building their professional networks, following the Ambassador Cup’s exclusive, invitation-only aspect held earlier in the night.
Due to a full-house anticipated, the atmosphere throughout the venue remained extremely high throughout the day. This is what defines the three components of this series – poker, entertainment, and business – being combined into one venue without having to stop.
Chip counts take shape
Early chip counts from across Promo Day and Day 1 flights offer a first glimpse into the developing leaderboard. Helton Richard leads the Promo Day survivors with an impressive 1,460,000 chips, followed by Lucas Portella on 665,500 and Munir Berno on 481,000.
From Day 1A, Marcos Henrique da Silva has emerged as a standout with 1,553,000 chips, while Kang Kim (566,500) and Fernando Cosme (366,500) also built strong stacks.
Day 1B added further depth to the field, with Pietro Chiavassa (388,000) and Alisson Ballack (186,000) among those progressing.
With multiple flights still in play and the “choose your stack” rule in effect, these early leaders remain far from secure, setting up a competitive run into Day 2.
Momentum builds
As Day 1 concludes, SPT Brazil is already demonstrating strong early traction. The success of the Promo Day, combined with active Main Event flights and a packed social agenda, signals a well-balanced event structure designed to maximise both participation and experience.
Attention now turns to the next stages of play, where the field will continue to grow before narrowing towards the decisive phases of the tournament. With momentum firmly established, São Paulo is once again proving to be a key stage for the continued expansion of the SiGMA Poker Tour.
For a full breakdown of upcoming tournaments, side events, and key timings, visit the official SiGMA Poker Tour Brazil page and explore the agenda for the remainder of the event.
