Chaar-Lee discovered poker over 20 years ago, starting with fixed-limit games before embracing the rise of No-Limit Hold’em across cash games, STTs, and MTTs. In the early days, he and his circle sometimes played more than 40 different formats in a single night. He organized the first poker camp in his region and has contributed poker technology to several televised shows. Today, he supports the SOMUCHPOKER team from the tech side, blending two decades of poker passion with technical expertise.

Updated: 2024.10.17

Former professional basketball player for BC Vienna, Austrian poker star Max Neugebauer is one of the most prolific winners. He has total live earnings of over USD 1.8 million, with a best live cash of USD 1.6 million from the 2023 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event NLH European Championshipin Rozvadov, Czech Republic. While his journey to the top wasn’t straightforward, and the lead changed hands multiple times. The event marked his first gold bracelet win.

Max Neugebauer at WSOPE - Photo by WSOP / Pokernews — Max Neugebauer wins WSOPE – Photo by WSOP / Pokernews

Before his biggest victory, Neugebauer had less than USD 85,000 in career live event earnings, including four small WSOP cashes. His previous best tournament cash was USD 27,000 in the DeepStack Championship Event at the Venetian DeepStack Championship in Las Vegas in June 2023.

Following his most significant run, Neugebauer cashed €50,800 (USD 54,690) at the EPT Prague Main Event and won Event #3 at the 2024 Lucky Hearts Poker Open in Hollywood, bagging USD 20,855. Neugebauer also made his first Asian poker appearance at Asian Poker Tour Taipei in March 2024.

Overall, the former basketball star made a name for himself across international poker waters in South Africa, Malta, Monaco, South Korea, Cyprus, and Vietnam, proving his career transition to be a successful one.

*Profile by Zoe Alcazaren

Max Neugebauer - SOMUCHPOKER (2025)