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Adrian Mateos: Spain’s Poker Prodigy Who Became a Global High-Roller Icon at 19
Adrian Mateos is a Spanish professional poker player who has accumulated $55,357,646 in live tournament earnings, making him the undisputed number one on Spain’s all-time money list and one of the top ten players globally. He holds 5 WSOP bracelets, 1 EPT title, and 1 Triton Poker title, and became the youngest player in history to win three WSOP bracelets, achieving that record at age 22. His first bracelet came at 19, when he won the 2013 WSOP Europe Main Event for €1,000,000, launching one of the most decorated international careers in modern poker history.
Born on July 1, 1994, in San Martin de la Vega, a small municipality in the Community of Madrid, Mateos developed an interest in poker through online platforms while still a teenager in Spain. He began playing seriously in his late teens and progressed rapidly through the stakes, moving into major live events before most players his age had even established themselves in mid-stakes tournaments. His emergence on the global circuit represented a new generation of European players whose skill development happened primarily online, compressing the timeline from beginner to elite competitor into just a few years. He currently resides in London and holds GPI Rank 48, having accumulated $55,357,646 in documented live cashes, the most in Spanish poker history.
Adrian Mateos’s Personal Life
Mateos is intensely private about his personal life and rarely shares details outside the poker context. He is not married and does not have children, and has stated that his focus remains entirely on his professional development. He is based in London, a city he has described as offering both the cosmopolitan lifestyle and the proximity to the European poker circuit that fits his competitive schedule. He stays connected with family and friends in Spain and returns regularly. His online handle “amadi” has followed him across platforms and is how he is identified within the broader poker community. He has given occasional interviews discussing the mental demands of high-stakes competition but generally keeps his public persona focused on poker rather than personal commentary.
Adrian Mateos’s Beginning in Poker
Mateos began playing online poker while still a teenager in Spain, discovering the game through the internet in a country where the live casino infrastructure for competitive poker was limited. He developed his skills rapidly across online stakes, moving up through formats and buy-in levels with a speed that reflected both natural aptitude and a systematic approach to study. In January 2013, at 18 years old, he won an event on the Estrellas Poker Tour in Madrid for €103,000, his first significant live result. Just months later, in the autumn of 2013, he traveled to Paris for the WSOP Europe and won the €10,450 Main Event for €1,000,000, a result that placed him immediately among the most remarkable young players in the world. He was 19 years old.
The win was not a fluke. Within three years, Mateos had accumulated two additional WSOP bracelets, a feat achieved at age 22 that made him the youngest player in history to win three WSOP gold bracelets. By his mid-20s he had fully transitioned into the super high roller circuit, competing in events with buy-ins of $50,000 to $300,000, and establishing himself as one of the most feared opponents at those levels.
Adrian Mateos’s Strategies and Playing Style
Mateos is known within the poker community for an aggressive, technically sound approach built on GTO foundations developed through extensive online study. He plays both No-Limit Hold’em and mixed formats at an elite level, with his 2021 WSOP $250,000 Super High Roller win in a multi-game format demonstrating his range across different disciplines. He applies solver-based frameworks with precision and combines them with an ability to put opponents in uncomfortable spots by maintaining balanced ranges under pressure.
His transition from online grinding to live super high roller dominance is notable for its speed and completeness. He has been vocal in interviews about the importance of continuous study and treating poker as a professional discipline rather than a game of feel. His results at the Triton Series and at WSOP high-roller events reflect a game that has continued to improve year over year, with multiple cashes above $3,000,000 demonstrating his capacity to navigate the most competitive fields in the world.
Adrian Mateos’s Greatest Achievements in Poker
Adrian Mateos in WSOP
| Year | Event | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | €10,450 Main Event (WSOP Europe) | 1st | €1,000,000 |
| 2016 | $1,500 Summer Solstice No-Limit Hold’em | 1st | $409,171 |
| 2017 | $10,000 Heads-Up Championship | 1st | $324,470 |
| 2021 | $250,000 Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em | 1st | $3,265,362 |
| 2025 | $3,200 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller (Online) | 1st | $253,000 |
Mateos has 5 WSOP bracelets across formats including the Europe Main Event, the Heads-Up Championship, the $250,000 Super High Roller, and an online event, demonstrating his versatility. His 2021 WSOP $250,000 Super High Roller win for $3,265,362 is his largest WSOP cash and one of the highest-paying WSOP events ever won. He has 98 total WSOP cashes and 18 final table appearances, a record built through consistent high-buy-in participation since his debut in 2013. At 22, he set the record as the youngest player to win three WSOP bracelets, a mark that reflected the speed of his development relative to any previous generation of players.
Other Major Achievements
Mateos is the first Spanish player to win an EPT Main Event title, taking down the 2015 EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo for €1,082,000 and establishing himself as Spain’s representative at the highest level of European poker. He also won the 2022 EPT Monte Carlo €100,000 NLH event for €1,385,430, adding a second major EPT victory to his record. His biggest career cash, $3,292,000, came from a second-place finish in the 2024 Triton Montenegro $200,000 event. He won the 2024 Triton Montenegro $50,000 event outright for $1,761,000, his confirmed Triton title. He ranks first on the Spain all-time money list with $55,357,646 in documented live cashes, a gap over the next-highest Spanish earner that is measured in tens of millions.
Adrian Mateos’s Top 10 Biggest Live Cashes
| Place | Event | Year | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Triton Montenegro $200,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 2024 | $3,292,000 |
| 1st | WSOP $250,000 Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em | 2021 | $3,265,362 |
| 2nd | Triton Monte Carlo $125,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 2023 | $3,120,739 |
| 1st | Triton Montenegro $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 2024 | $1,761,000 |
| 1st | EPT Monte Carlo €100,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 2022 | €1,385,430 |
| 4th | Triton Vietnam $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 2023 | $1,201,000 |
| 3rd | PCA $100,000 Super High Roller | 2023 | $1,095,903 |
| 1st | EPT Grand Final Monte Carlo (Main Event) | 2015 | €1,082,000 |
| 1st | WSOP Europe €10,450 Main Event | 2013 | €1,000,000 |
| 1st | WSOP $10,000 Heads-Up Championship | 2017 | $324,470 |
alt=”Adrian Mateos at the poker table, CC BY-ND 2.0, World Poker Tour” loading=”lazy”>
FAQ about Adrian Mateos
How many WSOP bracelets does Adrian Mateos have?
Adrian Mateos has 5 WSOP bracelets, won in 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, and 2025. His first came at age 19 at the WSOP Europe Main Event, making him one of the youngest major bracelet winners in history. At 22 he set the record as the youngest player to win three WSOP bracelets. His largest bracelet win was the 2021 $250,000 Super High Roller for $3,265,362.
How much has Adrian Mateos won in poker?
Adrian Mateos has accumulated $55,357,646 in live tournament earnings as of early 2026, making him the number one earner in Spanish poker history by a significant margin. He ranks in the global top ten on the all-time live tournament money list. His largest individual cash was $3,292,000 from a second-place finish at the 2024 Triton Montenegro $200,000 event.
Where is Adrian Mateos from?
Adrian Mateos was born on July 1, 1994, in San Martin de la Vega, a municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain. He developed his poker skills playing online in Spain as a teenager before transitioning to live major tournaments. He currently lives in London, where he is based for the European and global high-stakes circuit.
Is Adrian Mateos the best Spanish poker player?
By all measurable criteria, yes. Adrian Mateos is the undisputed number one on Spain’s all-time poker money list with over $55 million in documented live earnings, a total that far exceeds any other Spanish player. He was also the first Spanish player to win an EPT main event, taking down the 2015 EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo, and he holds five WSOP bracelets, the most of any Spanish-born player in history.
How old was Adrian Mateos when he won his first WSOP bracelet?
Adrian Mateos was 19 years old when he won his first WSOP bracelet at the 2013 WSOP Europe Main Event in Paris, taking home €1,000,000. The win was one of the most surprising results of that year given his age and relative inexperience on the major live circuit at the time. It launched a career that would go on to produce four additional WSOP bracelets over the following twelve years.
What is Adrian Mateos’s online poker handle?
Adrian Mateos uses the handle “amadi” and variations of it (“amadi_17” on Twitter/X, “@amadi17” on Instagram) across his online presence. He used the handle during his formative online poker career in Spain and has carried it through to his live and social media identity as one of the top players on the global high-stakes circuit.
Did Adrian Mateos win the EPT?
Yes. Adrian Mateos won the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo in 2015, becoming the first Spanish player in history to win a European Poker Tour Main Event title. The prize was €1,082,000. He has since added further major EPT victories, including the 2022 EPT Monte Carlo €100,000 No-Limit Hold’em event for €1,385,430.
What is Adrian Mateos’s biggest poker win?
Adrian Mateos’s biggest live cash is $3,292,000, earned from a second-place finish in the 2024 Triton Montenegro $200,000 No-Limit Hold’em event. His largest outright win by prize amount was the 2021 WSOP $250,000 Super High Roller for $3,265,362, which was also his fifth WSOP bracelet-winning result.
What is Adrian Mateos’s GPI rank?
Adrian Mateos holds GPI Rank 48 on the Global Poker Index, which tracks live tournament performance across major international circuits on a rolling basis. He has been a consistent presence in the top 50 of the GPI for much of his career, with peaks into the top 10 following strong stretches of results at the highest buy-in events.
Has Adrian Mateos won a Triton Poker event?
Yes. Adrian Mateos won the Triton Montenegro $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em event in 2024 for $1,761,000. He has been a consistent presence in Triton final tables, with multiple other deep runs and cashes above $1,000,000 at the Triton Series, including a second-place finish in the 2024 Montenegro $200,000 event for $3,292,000.
How did Adrian Mateos learn poker?
Adrian Mateos learned poker primarily through online play in Spain as a teenager. He began playing on internet platforms before reaching the legal age for live casino gambling, developing his skills through high-volume online sessions across various stakes. He moved quickly up the stakes, progressing from mid-stakes online games to major live tournaments within a few years. His first significant live win came at the Estrellas Poker Tour in Madrid at age 18, and he won the WSOP Europe Main Event at 19, just one year into his live major tournament career.
What year did Adrian Mateos become the youngest three-time WSOP bracelet winner?
Adrian Mateos set the record as the youngest player to win three WSOP bracelets at age 22, in 2016, when he won his third bracelet in the $1,500 Summer Solstice No-Limit Hold’em event for $409,171. He had previously won the 2013 WSOP Europe Main Event at 19 and the 2017 event had not yet occurred, meaning his third bracelet (2016) was the milestone that set the age record.
