Seat 7: Raul Mestre (Valencia, Spain) – 4,260,000
The explosion in poker in Spain owes a lot to 29-year-old Raul Mestre, a former chemistry student turned high-stakes cash player, poker coach and writer. Mestre has been a key figure in developing poker in Spain -- teaching people how to play and helping set up a team of professional players.
This is Mestre’s second European Poker Tour final table, but he’s looking forward to this one a lot more than EPT Prague in Season 5 where he came into the final as the shortest stack by far and wound up finishing in eighth place for €71,800.
“It was very frustrating,” he said. “I was eliminated in the second or third hand. But this time, I’m in great shape. I have twice the average stack and the time to make good choices. I’m going to enjoy this final.”
Although he does most of his playing -- and winning -- online, Mestre also won a € 10,000 No Limit Hold'em High Roller event in Madrid two years ago for €40,000 and has a couple of high finishes on the World Poker Tour's Spanish Championship in 2008 and 2007 to his name.
The chip lead Tomeu Gomila, Mestre has one World Series of Poker Main Event cash on record. Mestre's came in 2009 and was good for $27,469 after he finished in 427th place.
Bio courtesy of PokerStars