Las Vegas is familiar with special guest appearances, being a town built on the reputations of generation after generation of stars. Today the poker world got a visit from a soccer star (and PokerStar), in the form of Neymar Jr. 

Ramos, Neymar, Danzer, Akkari: a little poker between friends

Given his arrival at EPT Barcelona last summer caused something of a stir, one can only imagine the effect he had walking into the Amazon Room in front of hundreds of poker players in other events, suddenly ditching their pre-match plan of total concentration. 

The pre-match photo

Neymar Jr is stateside right now, enjoying the few weeks of the year that are considered "post season" before they quickly become "pre-season", and while passing through he hooked up with friend and countryman Felipe Ramos at the Rio in Las Vegas, to play a little WSOP poker. 

It being a flying visit for the Barcelona striker, there was no time for a bracelet event. So he settled for the next best thing, a two table satellite against a few friends and Team Pros under the lights of the secondary feature tables. The prize? A seat in the WSOP Main Event. 

Based on the story told in the pictures from the Amazon Room, the action was of the serious yet jovial kind.

In between checking out a WSOP bracelet, and sharing a few laughs, Neymar put on a pretty good display - so good that it transformed the trip into an even better one for Neymar.

The easy way to get your hands on a WSOP winner's bracelet

For while this might be a fleeting visit, he got the ending he (and we're guessing a lot of others) was hoping for. 

Congratus to Neymar Jr: Another trip to the WSOP now seems likely

Yep. Neymar won the lot. It might not be a fleeting visit after all. 

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Photos thanks to Joe Giron/PokerPhotoArchive.com