Meet Leon Menezes, a trailblazer in poker affiliations and a champion on the felts. Hailing from Mumbai, Leon is a prominent name in India’s poker scene with several accolades under his belt. He is not just a poker player but also the owner of the ‘Leon22’ company, India’s biggest affiliate with over 6,000 players serving major global brands like WPT, Natural8, ACR, KKPoker and more.
Before his foray into the poker industry, Leon worked as a ‘Talent Acquisition Specialist’ across diverse industries, which equipped him with the ability to meet and connect with new people and forge long-lasting relationships. A commerce graduate from the University of Mumbai, he saw some scams happening in the online poker space and this was when he decided to build a process where he ensured that people never get cheated again and get value for their hard-earned money. In a short span of time, he has won the trust of thousands of players and is contributing in a big way to the poker industry in collaborations with major global brands such as WPT, Natural8, KKPoker and other brands.
Equipped with exceptional prowess in networking, decision-making, onboarding, and negotiations, Leon is an avid lover of sports and games. He has played football, cricket, basketball, table tennis, and snooker in his college and university days. His diverse background highlights his deep understanding of teamwork, strategy, and perseverance—qualities that are paying off handsomely for him in both business and poker.
As a poker player, Leon has several online cashes and one title on his young poker resume. Most recently, Leon made waves at the recent APT Manila series by clinching his first APT live title in Event #75: Omaholic for PHP 104,555. Not resting on his laurels, he followed that up with a third-place finish worth PHP 35,000 in Event #97: PHP 12K PL Omaha High – Lazy Rivers of the APT series. His remarkable run at the recent series showcased his evolving prowess on the live poker felts, while reaffirming his love and passion for the beautiful game of poker.
In an insightful conversation with PokerProNews, Leon recently talked about his recent win and his experience of playing in Manila. He also shared his thoughts on the Asian poker scenes and shed light on his transition from talent acquisition to the poker industry. He also shared his vision behind the Leon22 Company and talked about pros and cons of working with major global poker brands, while sharing his future plans as a player and an affiliate. Watch the video above for our insightful conversation with the man redefining poker affiliations and leaving his mark in the industry.
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