At 42, the owner of three optical shops and a lens lab in the Greater Belo Horizonte area, Filipe Bohmerwald Dutra de Morais had what most people would call a well-planned life. Which is exactly why he decided to upend it (in a planned way).
Midway through this year, the businessman known on the circuit as Filipe BDM set off for Las Vegas on a mission: to spend three months living exclusively off poker.
"I'd always wanted to spend more time in Las Vegas and play more professionally, but it was never possible, mainly because of my business commitments and for financial reasons," he says. The idea clicked into place after a simple bit of self-reflection.
"At 42, with no kids and a more stable financial situation, I told myself: either I do this crazy thing now, or never."
Filipe's relationship with poker goes back a long way, and it has always been profitable. He started out in 2008 as a grinder in 45- to 180-player sit-and-gos on smaller online sites like Everest and BestPoker, where he racked up more than $50,000 in winnings. That money financed the opening of his first optical shop and, later, the lens lab.
In live poker, his standout result came in June 2012, when he won the BSOP Belo Horizonte Main Event and pocketed R$101,400 (about USD $50,056). Since then, poker has remained a profitable hobby, slotting into the gaps in his routine as a businessman.
However, his Hendom Mob is short and doesn't have a single six-figure score. So, depending on his lifestyle, Filipe will need to get profitable quickly, or stick to cash games.
- Total Live Earnings: $61,941
- Best Cash: $50,056
- 2026 Cashes: One cash in the 2026 Orleans Summer Open, Las Vegas, 15th in a $240 PLO event for $564.
- 2025 Cashes: $1,718 from two events in Las Vegas
A Radical Change, But All Part of the Plan
Dropping everything for 90 days, however, was no impulse. Before setting off, Filipe streamlined his businesses so they could run without him: the shop in downtown Belo Horizonte was left in the hands of a trusted manager, while the two locations in Santa Luzia were already being run day-to-day by his business partner, who lives in the city. Even from Las Vegas, he still handles outstanding matters remotely.
The list of arrangements was long: he rented his apartment to a friend "so the place wouldn't sit empty and could still bring in some income" put his car up for sale at a dealership, left his cats with his mother, cancelled his gym and club memberships, and switched to online classes at university, giving up his in-person internship. Even Las Vegas's public transit became part of his study plan.
The budget was set before departure, too: $2,500 a month for living expenses and a $7,000 bankroll to play with.
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Going Against the WSOP Trend
Anyone picturing this Brazilian battling it out in the massive fields of the World Series of Poker is in for a surprise. His approach is the opposite: daily casino tournaments with low buy-ins, turbo structures, and tables full of tourists and local players — mainly at The Orleans and Caesars.
"The WSOP draws huge fields — regulars, recreational players, and million-dollar prizes, but with enormous variance. I choose to play 'cheap' tournaments with small fields that don't interest the pros," he explains. "There are plenty of recreational players and low variance. The prizes aren't huge, but they pay out a decent amount in dollars, tax-free." [Editor's note: In the United States, Brazilians' winnings above $5,000 are subject to a 30% withholding tax at the time of payout.]
The philosophy, he says, dates back to his days as an online grinder: "Smaller fields and low variance. It's a principle I've always stood by as a player. To this day, I believe it's the best way to be genuinely profitable in poker."
This is Filipe's fourth year in a row coming to Las Vegas, so the caliber of his opponents came as no surprise. He even reckons there's a market there that many Brazilians simply overlook. The atmosphere at these smaller tournaments is different, too: "It's more relaxed, the vibe is more about having fun, unlike the WSOP, which is fiercely competitive."
A Player's Routine and Variance
His daily routine in Las Vegas, he admits, is still all over the place. He wakes up around 11 a.m. — "in Belo Horizonte I can't sleep past 8; here, if I could, I'd stay in bed until noon" — has lunch, then heads out to play, getting back close to midnight. The night before, he picks out the next day's tournaments; cash games are saved for the evening, "so I can leave whenever I get tired." Going forward, the plan is to lean more into cash games, which he expects to be profitable, and to swap the hotel for a condo, where he intends to set up a proper training routine and eat healthier.
Living solely off the game, even for just three months, takes a mental toll as well. "It's not easy. Poker is a game with a lot of variance. Sometimes you get home exhausted after 10 hours of focused play, and the result is that you're down a few hundred dollars," he laughs. "But I've been handling it well. I get that it's part of the process, and it's a choice I made."
On his days off, his favorite pastime is a simple one: "Definitely grabbing a drink on Fremont Street," he jokes, referring to the famous strip in the city's old downtown.
The Visa Timer Never Stops
The 90-day limit isn't just a personal goal. That's actually a safety net.
Since he's in the country on a tourist visa, his research and professional advice both pointed to not overstaying three months. "Some Brazilian friends who stayed six months recently had their visa renewals denied," he says.
Would he repeat the project every year? "I think that's tricky. We'll see how the whole thing plays out."
And living permanently in Las Vegas one day? His answer comes as a question of its own: "Could it happen?"
"It's totally worth it."
A month into the journey, his verdict is positive.
"The main thing is to enjoy it and be grateful to be living this right now. I've been making the most of every day," he says.
The comparison with life in Belo Horizonte, for that matter, tips in favor of the Nevada desert: "Belo Horizonte and Brazil have a lot of things that bother me — from the traffic to the values, the politics, the culture, and the system as a whole. For now it's easy, because I'm more comfortable here than there."
For anyone dreaming of repeating the experience, his message depends on the type of player. "Professional players need volume to get results, and live poker doesn't allow for that. For recreational players, it works better as an experience," he says.
His closing advice sums up the whole journey: "There's no big secret. With good planning and understanding that even though it's easier, it's still hard, it's absolutely worth it."
And his biggest lesson so far goes beyond the tables:
"Sometimes you have to do crazy things in life. We're only passing through, and too often we're afraid to do certain things. But done responsibly, it's absolutely worth it."
