Things are slowly
getting back on track.
An entire generation
has had to overcome
an unprecedented situation.
This obviously hasn’t escaped
the attention of Spain’s
most successful poker player ever.
This documentary,
shot in the heart of Madrid,
follows Adrián Mateos in his daily life.
Family, friends
and some of his
professional responsibilities
as a Winamax ambassador.
It's what you’ve always wanted to see:
Adrián up close and personal.
Are you in? Let’s go.
ADRIÁN MATEOS:
BACK TO THE ROOTS
26th JUNE 2020
So, you haven’t been
to Madrid for a long time,
it's been a difficult time for everyone.
How has it been for you?
What have you been doing?
I’ve spent the whole quarantine
stuck in my house,
mainly playing online
and studying a lot.
Despite the terrible situation,
on a personal level,
it wasn’t so bad for me,
because it’s been quite nice
playing online.
The biggest concern
was for my family,
because they live in Madrid,
a badly affected city,
but it’s nice to be here
to visit them for a few days,
which I have been
looking forward to.
So where are we going now?
We’re on our way to some studios
to record for Inside the Mind of a Pro,
talking about the tournament
that I played in the Bahamas,
which was a major tournament,
an important time in my career.
I’m looking forward to recording it,
and I hope everyone will enjoy.
These episodes
really demonstrate once again
what a great player
Adrián Mateos is.
It can be tricky remembering hands
that were played months ago.
I play every day, so sometimes
I don’t remember what I did,
but I think about
how I would play it now,
and it’s often the same
as I did 6 months ago.
It takes a lot of time
because there are lots of episodes,
but it’s poker,
which I like, so that’s fine.
It’s an important moment
in my career,
and doing so well there
has motivated me a lot.
This is an article
published in November of 2013.
He was still very young,
and El Pais put him on the back cover.
He was just 19 here,
and he was already starting to stand out.
He said: “Dad, Mum,
I need to speak to you.
I’m going to disappoint you
three times all at once”.
He told us he was leaving university,
that he was going to work in poker
because that was his passion,
and that he was moving to London.
We thought
something might be happening
because he had already won
two big tournaments,
here in Torrelodones and then,
when he told us,
he had just arrived from Deauville.
Here’s Club Magazine with him
on their first ever front cover,
and here he is ‘Mateos the Machine’.
Here he is in Card Player,
when he won in 2017.
And here,
when he won the 2013 World Series,
and then Planet Poker
also had him on the cover.
Then articles inside.
Here again.
We're proud.
It’s his passion.
When he’s not playing,
even here at home in summer,
he just watches games,
studies, learns,
speaks with different people,
so I think he’ll stay in poker
for a long time.
This will be the first year
you won’t be going to Vegas since you started.
- Is that hard?
- Yes, of course,
and there were due to be loads
of highrollers in Vegas this year,
tournaments I was looking forward to,
but then this is
a global case of force majeure,
a very serious issue,
so I understand it being cancelled,
and it would be dangerous to play
such a busy event in this context.
If all goes well,
I guess it will be on next year
with twice the energy.
When you’re up there with the best,
what can give you the edge?
What makes one better than another?
Work makes the most difference.
Whoever works more
normally comes out on top,
but then there are
other factors like talent,
managing emotions
or thousands of other things
that make the difference.
Also, if things have been going
badly for you personally,
or maybe better than usual,
then it can change your performance a bit,
making it better or worse.
Those of us that get to the elite level
are on a very equal level
and little details
can make the difference.
What about luck?
Are you the luckiest guy alive?
Well, of course I’m lucky,
because I can do what I do.
I’m lucky to have converted
my hobby into a job,
but it has also taken a lot of work.
I’ve been a professional for 7 years now.
I’ve won every year,
although some insist
that poker is about luck,
I think it isn’t.
It takes skill,
and many countries consider it to be
a mental sport on the same level as chess.
For example, I think in Brazil
it is considered a mental sport.
Luck does play a role in the short term,
but in the long term,
winners are the best players,
those who study most
and spend the most time on it.
Where are we right now?
We're in the Mandalay room
in Casino Gran Madrid,
where everything started.
I won my first big tournament here,
and my second and a few more.
It was great because my family
and friends came to support me,
and I ended up winning.
And it all grew from here.
Today is the second day of recording,
after a long day yesterday.
Despite being tired
from lots of hours of recording,
I think it’s looking really cool.
I’m enjoying it
and I hope you’ll enjoy it too.
The big day is here!
After 68 episodes,
here at the Radio Marca studio
we finally have the greatest
Spanish poker player of all time with us;
the most decorated
and possibly the most followed,
respected and loved
in the whole community.
We needed 67 episodes,
well now 68,
to finally get Spain’s number one,
from Winamax’s Pro Team,
on the Winamax program
on Marca Poker.
I’m really happy about it.
We’re going to have a great interview,
we’re really looking forward to it,
and the whole team
is excited to have Adrián here.
Positive, humble, tireless fighter,
ultra-competitive and intelligent
are just some of the adjectives
that have been used globally
to describe a man
that is officially considered
to be a player that stands out
from a generation of our sport.
Good evening, Adrián!
David, after an introduction
like that I’m blushing,
and I’ve got goosebumps.
You deserve it all.
I generally have
a good relationship with the media.
Today, for example,
we’re at Radio Marca,
and it’s even easier
when two friends
like David Luzago and Álex Hernando
are doing the interview.
But it is true that
when other outlets ask me for interviews,
I might be a bit more reluctant,
because I haven’t always
been treated that well,
but then on a specialist program,
like Marca Poker on Radio Marca,
then it really helps
to make me feel comfortable.
He hasn’t really had
a lot of recognition in Spain,
despite poker being a mental sport,
according to specialist media
and those who work in poker.
So, in Spain,
after being the world number 1
and winning a load of big tournaments,
we don’t feel a lot of recognition,
particularly him.
So we’re a bit unhappy about that.
I know
that your dad is a big fan
and has really immersed himself
in the poker world,
following all the players,
up to date with the latest statistics,
and being familiar
with all the tournaments.
He’s immersed himself in the poker world.
Yeah, totally,
my dad is my number 1 fan.
He loves it.
He keeps all the interviews,
all the photos in newspapers.
He collects them all
because he enjoys it,
and I guess he’s proud too.
Before finishing,
we have a little surprise, Adrián,
and before seeing it
I want you to listen to something:
Hi Adrián, how are you?
This is Koke.
I wanted to congratulate you
on your success.
Hopefully you can visit us sometime.
I wanted to send you a present,
on behalf of the whole team.
I hope you like it.
The captain of Atlético Madrid
has sent you a present
from the whole Atlético squad.
They know about your success,
and that you sometimes play
wearing the Atlético shirt.
Thanks very much to you,
and Koke and Atleti too.
That’s a great surprise.
The trophy cabinet.
All the trophies.
Yeah, there are a few.
This was the first bracelet
that I won, in France.
I think I was 19.
I remember it, I was the commentator
for the Spanish community.
This one was great,
and then these two from Las Vegas:
the Heads-up
and the Summer Solstice.
Here’s the EPT.
The only one I saw you win
was the SISMIX in Marrakech.
Yes, it was the first tournament
I played for Winamax and I was blessed.
If you had to choose one from these,
which would it be?
It’s very difficult,
but on a financial level
the first bracelet was key
because it gave me the confidence
that I was building a career,
and I was the youngest
to win a bracelet.
The EPT was special because it was
the first program that I featured in,
with the TV there, which I loved,
and I watched all the recordings.
I remember telling my friends
when I was 16 or 17
that one day I had to play an EPT.
And I didn’t just play, but I also won.
It was the Grand Final, too.
It was amazing,
the Grand Final in Montecarlo.
You are still
the only Spaniard to win an EPT.
And I hope to be
the only one to win two.
Guys.
Hey guys, what’s up?
All good?
Tell me: what’s Adrian like as a friend
when he’s not playing poker?
What’s he like every day?
He’s a really friendly guy, very active,
and he loves learning.
He spends a lot of time with us,
a good friend.
Has his success gone to his head?
No, not at all.
He's more visible
because he’s been on the TV,
on La Resistencia and so on.
Today we have the current
world number one live poker player,
Adrián Mateos, here he is.
And when he makes a final table,
does he let you know,
do you meet to watch?
What’s that like?
The truth is he’s a bit sly,
he doesn’t say anything,
so we watch the stream,
supporting him, hoping he wins,
waiting to see the result.
- Half an hour later.
- Half an hour later.
And you were recently with Adrian
at an important tournament.
We were in the Bahamas for a week,
which was a dream come true
and a unique experience.
Can we tell the story
about the room or not?
It was a bit of a mess.
- It was a bit of a mess.
- Yes.
- He’s not completely perfect then.
- Good friend, but a bit messy.
- Can we let him off?
- Yes.
So, that’s Adrián Mateos.
A simple guy
who hasn’t let money
or global success
change what he’s about.
Humility and simplicity
remain his calling cards.
Here’s to hoping he stays the same
for many more years,
entertaining poker fans everywhere.
Here’s to his health!
