Felipe Mojave WSOP attendance will end this summer, as the Brazilian poker veteran has confirmed he will not travel to Las Vegas for the 2026 World Series of Poker, breaking a personal streak that stretched back 18 consecutive years. For a player widely regarded as one of the pioneers of Brazilian poker, the decision marks a rare and notable pause in a career built on remarkable consistency.
A Statement, Not an Explanation
Mojave broke the news himself on social media rather than through an interview or press release. He did not name a specific reason for staying home this year, saying only that other priorities currently occupy his attention.
His message to fans and fellow players was brief and personal: “Family and values always come first. Wishing you all the best. Peace and love.” It is a statement that closes the door on speculation while leaving the details of his decision private, which is exactly how he framed it.
Ending an 18-Year WSOP Streak
What makes this year different is the streak itself. Mojave had been present at every single WSOP edition since 2008, an 18-year run of uninterrupted attendance that few players anywhere in the world, let alone from Brazil, can claim. Missing the 2026 series in Las Vegas brings that streak to a close.
An unbroken run of that length says as much about discipline and love for the game as any single result on a leaderboard. Eighteen years covers multiple eras of the WSOP itself, from the poker boom years through the rise of online satellites, the growth of the Big Blind Ante format, and the steady expansion of the schedule into dozens of bracelet events each summer. Mojave was there for essentially all of it, year after year, building a presence that became part of the fabric of the series for Brazilian fans following along from home.
Three Runner-Up Finishes, Still No Bracelet
Despite that remarkable run of attendance, one accomplishment has eluded Mojave: he has never won a WSOP bracelet, the sport’s most prestigious individual trophy. It is not for lack of trying, or lack of getting close. Over the years he has posted multiple deep runs that ended agonizingly at the final table, coming up just short of the title.
He finished runner-up in Event #12, the $1,000 NLH Double Stack, at the 2021 WSOP Online series, cashing for $476,612. Two years later, he was runner-up again in Event #12 of the 2023 WSOP in Las Vegas, the $5,000 NLH Freezeout, for $401,460. Most recently, in December 2025, he was runner-up once more in Event #12, the $10,000 8-Game, at WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas.
Three separate runner-up finishes across three different formats, at three different points in his career, tell their own story. Reaching heads-up play at a bracelet event even once requires outlasting fields that can number in the hundreds or thousands. Doing it three times without ever crossing the finish line is a testament to sustained excellence, even as the bracelet itself has stayed just out of reach. Readers unfamiliar with how these events are structured can find a breakdown of how bracelet tournaments work in our WSOP guide.
From International Banking to Brazilian Poker Pioneer
Before poker became his full time profession, Mojave worked at an international bank, a background that stands in contrast to the image many have of professional gamblers. That career path, moving from a structured corporate environment into the far less predictable world of tournament poker, mirrors the journeys of several early Brazilian players who helped legitimize the game domestically during a period when it was still viewed with suspicion by much of the public.
Over the course of his career, Mojave has accumulated $4,652,766 in live tournament earnings, a figure that places him among the ten most successful Brazilian poker players of all time by that measure. Combined with his long history at the WSOP specifically, that track record has made him one of the most recognizable Brazilian faces in the game internationally, someone newer players in Brazil often point to when explaining how the country’s poker scene grew from a niche pursuit into a serious competitive community.
What Mojave’s Absence Means for Brazilian Poker in 2026
Brazil has become one of the largest international contingents at the WSOP over the past decade, with dozens of Brazilian players making the trip to Las Vegas each summer to compete across the schedule’s many bracelet events. Mojave’s presence, year after year, was part of what normalized that trip for the generation of players who followed him. His absence in 2026 does not diminish that legacy. If anything, it underscores how much of the current Brazilian WSOP contingent grew up watching players like him compete.
Whether Mojave returns to Las Vegas in 2027 remains to be seen. For now, his own words suggest that stepping back this year was a deliberate choice rooted in what matters most to him away from the tables, not a retirement and not a sign of declining interest in the game he helped build in Brazil.
