ACR Poker Stormer Marcelo Cartana Turns 80 Cents Into a Venom Payday

The Brazilian streamer’s satellite climb leads into the community behind the ACR Stormers and a Brazilian player base with a long history of Venom success.

Marcelo Cartana began with an $0.80 Survivor Flip and worked his way into a $2,650 NLH Venom seat. By the time his October run ended, the Brazilian ACR Stormer had finished 158th and collected approximately $8,367 in prize money and bounties, including more than $5,000 from knockouts.

His Venom run brings together two familiar parts of life at ACR Poker: the Stormers who share their sessions on Twitch and a Brazilian poker community whose players keep reaching the biggest tables. September brought a Brazilian runner-up in the NLH Venom. October added three Brazilian finalists across NLH and PLO.

From an 80 cent flip to Day 2

Playing as “CartanaPoker,” Cartana progressed through $6, $46 and $350 qualifying steps before winning his Venom ticket. The starting price was small; the tournament waiting at the top of the ladder carried a $5 million guarantee.

Once in the field, he built a stack worth more than 100 big blinds for Day 2. His eventual 158th-place finish came in an NLH event that attracted 2,143 entries and generated $5,357,500 in prize money.

The knockout format gave his run another source of cash along the way. October’s Venom used Progressive Knockout bounties, with elimination rewards available from Day 1. A player could collect bounties well before reaching the tournament’s highest payout places.

For anyone used to seeing a major event’s buy-in and moving on, Cartana’s route is worth a second look. He still had to clear each qualifying step and compete in the Venom itself. But the first entry on that route cost less than a dollar.

What the ACR Stormers bring to the table

The ACR Stormers are poker streamers from around the world who broadcast tournament and cash-game sessions on Twitch. Cartana is listed on the official roster under Cartanapoker, alongside creators with their own games, personalities and communities.

Their streams give viewers more than the final result. You can follow a session as it develops, listen to a player explain a decision and ask questions about the action. There is room for the ordinary hands between the memorable ones, including the folds and smaller pots that rarely make a highlight clip.

Hand reviews and giveaways are part of the community, too. Participating streams and the ACR Community Discord feature opportunities for tournament tickets, merchandise and event entries, while community competitions and leaderboard races give viewers ways to get involved at the tables.

For a newer player, that can mean finding someone whose explanations make the game easier to follow. For an experienced grinder, it can mean watching another player work through a familiar spot or simply having company during a session.

Cartana gives that roster a Brazilian voice. His satellite climb also gives viewers a player to follow beyond a single payout screen, from the smaller qualifying events to the much larger tournament they can lead to.

Two recent Venoms with Brazil in contention

In the Dual Mystery Bounty Venoms that concluded in September, Ivanildo “chickenpastry” Limeira reached heads-up in the $12 million guaranteed NLH event. After a deal with eventual champion “Deltoid88,” the Brazilian finished second for $779,154.41, including $48,552.30 in bounties.

That finish came through a field of 4,792 entries. Limeira’s regular payout was $730,602.11, with the bounty total pushing his overall return close to $780,000.

October brought another strong Brazilian showing. Across the two Venom PKOs, Brazil recorded 39 NLH and six PLO Day 2 qualifications. Those 45 qualifications included Yuri Martins in both formats, so they do not represent 45 different players.

Three October finalists and plenty of deep runs

Victor Pedote (“meteli goli”) finished seventh in NLH for approximately $104,088, including bounties. In PLO, José Orlando (“Blessed33”) placed fourth for approximately $82,743, while Yuri Martins Dzivielevski (“vousconfus”) took fifth for approximately $72,634, also including bounties.

Together, the three finalists collected approximately $259,000. Brazil also had “LaMurruguita” in 13th and “SouNinjaa” in 14th in NLH, adding more deep finishes behind Pedote. Cartana’s run belonged to the same October field.

For Orlando and Martins, the PLO final table was familiar territory. Both had reached the April 2026 PLO Mystery Bounty Venom final table, where Orlando finished third for $205,380 and Martins sixth for $96,282, including bounties.

Brazil has been here since the beginning

Brazil’s Venom history includes the first two major multi-day champions. Rafael Moraes (“TheBigKid”) won the July 2019 edition for $1,050,559.50, and João Simão (“galodoido13”) followed with a December 2019 title worth $1,039,982.

In February 2021, Ramon Kropmanns (“PORKNOMAR”) defeated fellow Brazilian Yuri Martins, then playing as “SmashedAvocado,” heads-up. Kropmanns earned $1,113,330, while Martins received $849,150.

More Brazilian champions followed: Limeira in August 2024, Carlos “S1NISTR0” Rocha in February 2025, and Gabriel “kingqueensuited” Tavares in April 2025. Tavares’s victory paid $1,505,240 after he outlasted 3,735 entries.

A player base with people behind the screen names

Brazilian players are an important part of ACR Poker’s international community. The recent Venom results show their presence across satellite qualifiers, deep tournament runs and final tables. Tavares has also described the support that follows those results.

“When you win a tournament, they embrace you and celebrate with you,” Tavares said in an ACR Poker interview.

Cartana now has a run of his own for that community to celebrate. He began with 80 cents, earned his seat and left the Venom with a four-figure return. To find him and other players sharing their sessions, visit the ACR Stormers roster.