Recorded live tournament earnings
US$2,213,524Amount shown on PokerNews when checked. The page credits The Hendon Mob, and the underlying update date is unspecified.
Data reference: 24/10/2026PLAYER PROFILE
A portrait is unavailable in this edition. Initials are shown instead.
PROFILE · BRAZIL
Thiago Nishijima
Known as Decano, Thiago Nishijima won a WSOP bracelet in 2015 and a WCOOP title in 2009. His career connects the Brazilian generation of online sit & gos to major live finals in Las Vegas.
- Nationality
- Brazil
- Documented origin
- São Paulo, Brazil — city listed in the interview and WSOP results table. His birthplace is unconfirmed.
- Games and formats
- Texas Hold’em · Live and online tournaments
Editorial review:
Top documented live result in this selection
US$546,8432015 WSOP win, listed in a 2018 retrospective as his biggest result to that point. Later coverage may be incomplete.
Data reference: 24/10/2026Career
Thiago Nishijima’s career began with sit & gos and games with friends. In a 2012 interview, he said he worked at a bank for nine years before leaving in 2007 to focus on poker. He started at low stakes and learned to play multiple tables at once.
Want to understand the betting rounds and hands featured in this career? You can try a free poker table, against bots and with play chips, without betting real money.
The 2009 WCOOP title brought attention to the screen name XTheDecanoX. In live play, third place in a WSOP Hold’em event in 2010 marked a different part of his career. This profile lists the two kinds of results separately.
In June 2015, Decano won WSOP Event #38, the US$3,000 No-Limit Hold’em tournament. Play went into a fourth day, ending with his victory over Sotirios Koutoupas. PokerNews reported on the vocal Brazilian supporters and how much that support meant to him.
Timeline
- 2006
Starts playing sit & gos and home games, according to a later interview.
- 2007
Leaves his bank job to focus on poker.
- 2009
Wins the US$1,050 WCOOP #16 on PokerStars.
- 2010
Finishes third in WSOP Event #45.
- 2015
Wins the bracelet in WSOP Event #38.
- 2018
Finishes eighth in the WSOP US$1,000 DOUBLE STACK.
Career highlights
- 2009 WCOOP #16 title: online win for US$249,280 documented in a PokerNews retrospective.
- 2015 WSOP bracelet: he topped a field of 989 in the US$3,000 event for US$546,843.
Related terms: ITM · bounty · heads-up. A bracelet is the trophy awarded for winning a WSOP event.
Top live results and milestones
Selected confirmed live results. This is not a complete career record.
| Date | Event and tour or platform | Game | Finish | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | WSOP #73 — US$1,000 DOUBLE STACK, 30-minute levels | No-Limit Hold’em | 8th | US$19,371 |
| 2016 | EPT Monte-Carlo — €5.300 Main Event | No-Limit Hold’em | 55th | €16,830 |
| 06/2015 | WSOP #38 — US$3,000 No-Limit Hold’em | No-Limit Hold’em | 1st | US$546,843 |
| 2012 | WSOP #36 — US$3,000 Shootout | No-Limit Hold’em | 8th | US$37,707 |
| 2010 | WSOP #45 — US$1,500 No-Limit Hold’em | No-Limit Hold’em | 3rd | US$315,828 |
Confirmed online results
Online coverage may be partial. Results from one site, account or period are not treated as career totals.
| Date | Event and tour or platform | Game | Finish | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | PokerStars — WCOOP #16: US$1,050 NLHE | No-Limit Hold’em | 1st | US$249,280 |
Online aliases
| Platform | Alias | Period / context |
|---|---|---|
| PokerStars | XTheDecanoX | Historical use confirmed in a 2012 interview and a 2018 retrospective. Current activity is unconfirmed. |
Documented trivia
The screen name was inspired by Sylvester Stallone’s character in the film Shade, as he told PokerNews in 2012.
He worked in banking for nine years before turning pro.
A supporter dressed as Scooby-Doo was in the crowd at the 2015 final, according to the reporter at the event.
Interviews and notable moments
About this profile’s data
Checked on October 24, 2026. The profile’s event list ends in 2018 and provides a partial record through that year. Later results and recent activity are unconfirmed. Live and online amounts are shown separately.
The UBOC title mentioned in the 2012 interview is excluded from the payouts table because he said the platform held the balance. The announced prize and the amount actually withdrawn are separate figures.
- A fully documented online career total is not confirmed.
- No photo with a confirmed reuse license is available. The portrait uses initials.
Dates with only a year or month reflect the source’s precision. The editorial review date shows when the text was checked. Sources have their own access and publication dates.
Sources and credits
Results, titles and payouts are checked against PokerNews, Mundo Poker and SuperPoker, according to each profile’s references. Other sources may confirm biographical details, online identities and image credits. Figures reflect the editorial review and do not update automatically.
- Thiago Nishijima — profile and covered events ↗
Identity · Timeline · Key figures · Live results · Data notes
Accessed: 2026-10-24 - Thiago Decano wins Event #38 — Luis Lares ↗
Timeline · Key figures · Live results
Accessed: 2026-10-24 - Brazilian Thiago Nishijima Wins WSOP Gold — Marty Derbyshire ↗
Identity · Career · Achievements · Notable facts
Accessed: 2026-10-24 - Online Chat: Thiago XTheDecanoX Nishijima — Chad Holloway ↗
Career · Timeline · Screen names · Notable facts · Data notes · Interviews and highlights
Accessed: 2026-10-24 - Five of Brazil’s Best Poker Players — Jason Glatzer ↗
Career · Timeline · Achievements · Key figures · Online results · Online aliases
Accessed: 2026-10-24
FREE TABLE · TEXAS HOLD’EM
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