Leo Bello plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Before embracing poker, Leo earned a PhD in Pediatric Immunology in his home country of Brazil. He discovered poker in 2003, and quickly became passionate about the game. In 2004 he started a poker tournament in his native country called Circuito Paulista with his business partner Leandro Brasa.

The following year he and Brasa began the Brazilian Series of Poker, which has become one of the largest poker tournaments in South America. They also founded Nutzz, the biggest poker events company in Brazil.

As a player, Leo started to build his bankroll by playing limit cash games before moving on to heads-up play. After hitting the tournament scene and achieving some good results in both Brazil and Las Vegas, Leo decided to set his medical career aside and pursue poker full time.

Some of the highlights of his live poker career include a fourth-place overall finish in the BSOP in 2006 and reaching three final tables at the 2008 Wynn Classic.

Leo's passion for poker has inspired him to help others learn the game he loves, and he has written three poker books, including Aprendendo a jogar Poker: Princípios, técnica e prática (Learning to Play Poker: Principles, Techniques and Practices) and Dominando a Arte do Poker (Mastering the Art of Poker). He also conducts lectures and workshops in his native Brazil.

The main advice he gives to players getting started is to "study, practice and enjoy what you do." He preaches the art of discipline and believes any player can be successful by applying enough discipline to their game. He also stresses the importance of good post-flop play and the ability to recognize betting patterns.

Leo plans to continue spreading his passion for the game of poker with his lectures, workshops and books. He says that joining the Full Tilt Poker team is a "dream come true" and he hopes to help more people realize their own dreams.

Away from poker, Leo loves sports and enjoys playing tennis and running, as well as reading and going to the movies.

You can find Leo playing online at Full Tilt Poker.