PokerStars will sponsor the Brazilian Series of Poker Millions for the final time as tournament organisers guarantee R$5m in prize money for the R$3,500 buy-in Main Event.

People talk about the next poker boom as some catalytic future event. It’s not. There is a poker boom happening right now, and it’s not in China, it’s not in America – it’s in Brazil.

The opening event of the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) in Sao Paulo attracted 2,981 entrants, making it the largest WSOP-branded poker tournament held outside of Las Vegas since blobs became creatures.

And it wasn’t the biggest event ever held in Brazil. That accolade rests with the 2015 PokerStars sponsored Brazilian Series of Poker Millions (BSOP) Main Event. It attracted 3,457 entrants and paid out R$8,632,500 ($2,300,932) in prize money, with the winner, Andre Andreis earning R$1,380,000 ($367,829).