Spanish poker professional Adrián Mateos has officially climbed to the fourth spot on the all-time live tournament money list, crossing the milestone following a stellar third-place finish at the Triton Poker Series Jeju II event in South Korea, according to Poker Noticias.
The high-stakes poker ecosystem moves fast, but few players carve their names into the record books with the relentless momentum of Adrián Mateos. Fresh off a blistering run at Jeju’s high-roller festivals, the Madrid native has officially cemented his status as a titan of live tournament poker. When the dust settled on the US$150,000 10th Anniversary Special at Triton Poker Jeju II, Mateos walked away with a cool US$1,286,000 for his third-place finish, pushing his career live earnings past the jaw-dropping mark and edging out Belarusian pro Mikita Badziakouski in the process.
The Bottom Line
- The Milestone: Adrián Mateos secured 3rd place in the US$150,000 Triton Jeju special, earning US$1,286,000.
- The Standings: With total live earnings now topping the milestone, Mateos leapfrogs Mikita Badziakouski to take 4th on the All-Time Money List.
- The Elite Tier: He now trails only Bryn Kenney, Stephen Chidwick, and Jason Koon at the absolute pinnacle of global tournament poker.
Chasing History on the Triton Circuit
The road to fourth place wasn’t handed to Mateos; it was forged in one of the most competitive fields assembled all year. The US$150,000 10th Anniversary Special drew 67 elite entries, generating a massive prize pool of US$10,050,000 shared among just 11 paid spots. According to PokerNews Spain, Mateos battled his way to the final table, squaring off against heavyweights like Nick Petrangelo, Joao Simao, Thomas Boivin, Danny Tang, Seth Davies, and Dan Dvoress.
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The Spanish star’s tournament life ultimately came down to a classic late-stage clash against Brazil’s Joao Simao. Mateos committed his remaining chips from the small blind holding A♠10♠ against Simao’s pocket threes. While the flop offered plenty of equity with a project de color and overcards, the runout ultimately favored the pocket pair, leaving Mateos to collect his third-place seven-figure payout. Nick Petrangelo would go on to claim the official title after an ICM deal and subsequent all-in shootout with Simao, but the narrative of the series belonged squarely to the Spaniard’s historic milestone.
Inside the All-Time Money List Hierarchy
Before the chips hit the felt in South Korea, The Hendon Mob database tracked Mateos at roughly US$68.568,883, sitting just behind Badziakouski. That math changed instantly once the Jeju payouts cleared. Here is how the upper echelon of live tournament poker currently shakes out:
| Rank | Player | Country | Live Career Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryn Kenney | United States | US$90,849,210 |
| 2 | Stephen Chidwick | England | US$79,927,052 |
| 3 | Jason Koon | United States | US$77,032,156 |
| 4 | Adrián Mateos | Spain | US$69,854,883 |
Here is the kicker: at just 32 years old, Mateos is in this elite top tier. The gap separating him from Jason Koon sits at roughly US$7,177,273. While catching up to Bryn Kenney’s towering benchmark requires scaling a much steeper mountain, Mateos’s performance trajectory suggests the race is far from finished.
A Banner Year for the Madrid Native
To understand why this leap matters, you have to look at the broader canvas of 2026. Even before touching down in Jeju, Mateos was already enjoying the most lucrative calendar year of his professional career. Back in May, he captured the US$200,000 Triton Invitational in Montenegro, banking a career-best US$6,370,000. Just weeks later, he clinched the US$250,000 Super High Roller at the World Series of Poker, adding another US$4,334,411 and securing his sixth career WSOP gold bracelet.
When you stack those summer heater numbers next to his latest seven-figure cash in South Korea, his total production for 2026 scales past previous marks. It comfortably eclipses his previous personal high-water mark set in 2024, proving that elite poker dominance isn’t just about catching a hot card rack—it’s about sustained, high-level tactical execution across the most punishing buy-in tiers on the planet.
What Comes Next in the High-Roller Arms Race
The high-stakes tournament circuit never pauses for applause. While Mateos celebrates his new standing, veterans like Koon, Chidwick, and Kenney continue grinding the global circuit, ensuring the All-Time Money List remains a living, breathing leaderboard.
Can the Spanish wunderkind hunt down Jason Koon for the number three spot before the year closes out? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and let’s debate how high Mateos can climb before he hangs up his chips.
