Football legend Ronaldo confirmed to compete in 2015 Asia Championship of Poker

Brazilian football legend and PokerStars Brand Ambassador Ronaldo Nazario is making his debut trip to Macau for the 2015 Asia Championship of Poker (ACOP) – the Season 9 finale for the Asia Pacific Poker Tour, PokerStars, an Amaya Inc. brand, announced today.

The ACOP, which is currently taking place at PokerStars LIVE Macau, is the largest annual poker festival in Asia, and Ronaldo will be competing in the HK$100,000 (US$13,000) buy-in Main Event which features a HK$15 million prize pool guarantee.

Ronaldo, who has two World Cup winner medals and won the Ballon d’OR twice during his career, is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Earlier this year Ronaldo came 26th in the 2015 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) Main Event for $42,180.

Hungry for more success on the green felt, Ronaldo said: “I am very excited to play in Asia’s largest poker festival during my first visit to Macau. Poker gives me a new challenge in life and I am very glad to compete in Asia where the game is now booming.”

Last year, the ACOP attracted nearly 3,000 entrants and awarded more than HK$116 million ($15m) in prize money. The 2015 instalment is expected to eclipse those figures with a record 23 cash tournaments scheduled over the 17-day series.

The ACOP has become a must-play event on the international poker circuit. Last year, the biggest names in poker made the trip to Macau including Team PokerStars Pros Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier, Liv Boeree, Isaac 'Ike' Haxton, Eugene Katchalov, Randy ‘nananoko’ Lew; and, Phil Ivey, Dan Colman, Dan Smith, and Steve O’Dwyer who won HK$14,470,400 ($1.8m) after capturing the Super High Roller title.