The WPO Winamax in Aix-les-Bains has lost both Adrián Mateos and Leo Margets, leaving Spain with just one player in the hunt for the €150,000 top prize. The tournament’s €1.1 million prize pool now looks out of reach for the Spanish armada.
Spain’s two biggest poker names are out. Adrián Mateos and Leo Margets both crashed out of the WPO Winamax Main Event in Aix-les-Bains just as the €1.1 million prize pool reached its peak. Their exits came almost one after the other. Now, Spain’s shot at the €150,000 winner’s payout is barely alive.
Mateos arrived in Aix-les-Bains after a huge 2026 and a 10,000-kilometre trip from Jeju. He started Day 2 as chipleader. His early play was sharp. Many expected a Spanish win. Then the cards turned. A rough hand—pocket threes against aces—cut his stack down. He hung on with just ten blinds. He made a tough fold on a board full of diamonds. But it wasn’t enough. His last move, an A7 shove from hijack, ran into A9. No miracle came. Mateos’s run for a sixth WSOP bracelet ended right there.
The 2026 WPO Winamax Main Event set a new festival record with 2,876 entries, surpassing the previous year’s 2,566.
For Leo Margets, the exit stung even more. She had survived a close call on Friday. By Saturday, she was back up to 800,000 chips and climbing. Then she opened a hand, faced an all-in, and called. The board gave her nothing. Just like that, she was out. Hours earlier, she had talked about being a role model for women in poker. Her tournament ended just as things looked promising. That’s poker. It can be brutal.
The Spanish group had already lost Graells and Nacho Martínez. Then Adrián Guillamón followed. Only Israel García is left to carry Spain’s hopes. The rest of the armada is gone. The final push for the top prize has started without them.
The Main Event’s €1.1 million prize pool and €150,000 for first place have raised the stakes. Losing Mateos and Margets wipes out Spain’s best chances. The field is wide open now. New names will fight for the title. As reported earlier by Spanish sports outlets, Spain’s fortunes in competition often rest on a few stars. This time, the poker tables in Aix-les-Bains move on without their biggest Spanish names.
According to independent coverage, the 2026 WPO Winamax Main Event in Aix-les-Bains attracted a notably international field, including top Team Pro Winamax representatives such as Pierre Calamusa, alongside Mateos and Margets. The event was held at the historic Casino Grand Cercle from September 22 to 27, drawing attention for both its record turnout and the rapid elimination of many prominent Spanish players, leaving only Israel García in contention as the tournament reached its final stages.
With the favorites gone, all eyes are on Israel García. Can he pull off a comeback for Spain? The sudden exits of Mateos and Margets show how little reputation counts at the highest level. For Spanish poker, this WPO is a wake-up call. Even the most decorated players can see their run end in a single day. The road to the top prize is as tough as ever.
