Adrián Mateos and Leo Margets have both been eliminated from the WPO Winamax Basic Event in Aix-les-Bains, leaving Israel García as Spain’s only player in contention for the €150,000 first-place prize. Their exits came almost one after the other as the tournament’s prize pool reached €1.1 million.
Mateos arrived in Aix-les-Bains after a strong 2026 and a 10,000-kilometre trip from Jeju. He began Day 2 as chip leader and played well early on, prompting many to expect a Spanish win. Then the cards turned: pocket threes against aces cut his stack, and he hung on with just ten blinds. After making a tough fold on a board full of diamonds, he was eventually eliminated when his final move, a hijack shove with A7, ran into A9. Mateos’s bid for a sixth WSOP bracelet ended there.
PokerNews reported that the 2026 WPO Winamax Basic 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 survived a close call on Friday and had climbed back to 800,000 chips by Saturday. Then she opened a hand, faced an all-in and called. The board gave her nothing, and she was out. Hours earlier, she had spoken about being a role model for women in poker. Her tournament ended just as things looked promising.
The Spanish group had already lost Graells and Nacho Martínez; Adrián Guillamón was also out. Only Israel García remains to carry Spain’s hopes. The rest of the armada is gone, and the final push for the top prize will continue without them.
The €1.1 million prize pool and €150,000 first-place payout have raised the stakes. With Mateos and Margets out, Spain’s strongest chances are gone and the field is wide open. New names will fight for the title. Spanish sports outlets have previously reported that Spain’s fortunes in competition often rest on a few stars; this time, the poker tables in Aix-les-Bains are moving on without the country’s biggest names.
Poker52 reported that the 2026 WPO Winamax Basic Event in Aix-les-Bains attracted a notably international field, including top Team Pro Winamax representative Pierre Calamusa, with Mateos and Margets also in the field. The event was held at the historic Casino Grand Cercle from September 22 to 27, drawing attention for its record turnout and the rapid elimination of many prominent Spanish players. Only Israel García remained in contention as the tournament reached its final stages.
With the favorites gone, attention turns to Israel García and the possibility of a comeback for Spain. The exits of Mateos and Margets show how little reputation counts at the highest level: even the most decorated players can see their run end in a single day.
