Not all poker players get to the top of the game. For some, the grind to battle with poker's elite players takes years of study and consists of plenty of highs and lows along the way.
For others, it's something treated more as a hobby - a social experience to catch up with friends and play the same game of cards they've always loved. There are, however, a select few of players who seemed to have been born with a natural talent for poker. From winning his first major tournament at just 19 years old, you could very well say Adrian Mateos belongs in that category.
Earlier this year, PokerNews sat down with the Winamax sponsored pro to reflect on his nine-year poker career and looked at five of his biggest wins that have helped take the Spaniard to where he is now.
Five Wins, Five Mins
The meteoric rise of Mateos from ESPT Main Event glory in 2013 to the upper echelons of high stakes poker has been something of a marvel to witness.
At 19, he had already won the WSOP Europe Main Event to go along with a his ESPT title, which he heroically won in his hometown. The two marquee wins solidified his name as a one-to-watch. From then on, he never slowed down. At 22 years old, he became the youngest player to win 3 WSOP bracelets, and took his career one step further in 2015 - winning the EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event and added a second seven-figure score to his already impressive resume.
Adrian Mateos WSOP Titles
| Year | Event | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | WSOPE Main Event | € 1,000,000 |
| 2016 | Event #33: $1,500 Summer Solstice | $409,171 |
| 2017 | Event #15: $10,000 Heads-Up Championship | $324,470 |
| 2021 | Event #82: $250,000 Super High Roller | $3,265,262 |
Fast forward to 2022, and the high stakes maestro is continuing to build on his early success - winning his fourth piece of WSOP gold in the $250,000 Super High Roller, which was also his biggest ever buy-in to date.
Winamax Poker Open Bratislava
The Winamax Poker Open returns this autumn in Bratislava with 35 tournaments from €10 to €1,000. The €500 Main Event is sure to attract a massive field, after the Winamax Poker Open in Madrid broke the record earlier this year.
Click here for the full schedule!
