Joao Pedro Rodrigues Sant Ana

João Pedro Rodrigues Sant'Ana, from São Paulo, Brazil, built his experience starting in online poker. He is active in tournaments across major online platforms, especially excelling in small and mid-stakes events. On January 9, 2026, he won Event 57-M of the PokerStars New Year Series: $22 NLHE [Deep Stack], defeating 3,644 entrants for a $10,503 prize — a major breakthrough in his online career. He has also cashed multiple times in online poker and WSOP Online series. As of May 2026, according to WSOP.com records, he has a total of 13 online cashes worth $10,837, including a 34th-place finish for $1,928 in the 2026 GG World Festival 08-M and a 31st-place finish for $2,664 in the 2025 GGMasters.

João Pedro has also proven his skills on the live felt. In 2025, he performed strongly in the BSOP Winter Millions Main Event, emerging from a field of 405 players to lead Day 2 with 1,825,000 chips (approximately 182 big blinds). By Day 3 he was guaranteed at least R$9,530 (~$1,900). The champion's prize was R$1,000,000. That same year, he reached the final table (four-handed) of the KSOP Rio de Janeiro Main Event, ultimately eliminated when his jacks ran into a cooler. Still, he demonstrated his ability to compete under high pressure.

João Pedro is known for a bold yet careful approach. During Day 3 of the KSOP Main Event, he executed a brilliant bluff: holding KJo, he three-bet preflop, continued on an A86 rainbow flop, called a check-raise, bet half-pot on a 7 turn, and then shoved the river, forcing his opponent to fold the same KJ offsuit and winning a huge pot. He later explained that the bluff was based on a precise read of his opponent (a recreational player), reasoning that this opponent would not check-raise with a strong hand on a dry board, so his king-high was still a value hand. This aggressive style, combining reads and execution, is the source of his confidence.

Overall, his play is balanced: he can patiently accumulate chips but is also willing to strike at key moments. His extended chip lead in the BSOP Main Event also demonstrates his steady table control.

João Pedro has gained some recognition in the Brazilian poker community, often referred to by the media as a "professional player" and "a player with notable live results." He remains low-key but earns respect from peers through his pragmatic style and consistent results. Currently he has no clear off-felt label and is mainly active in Brazilian domestic events (such as BSOP and KSOP) and online platforms.