Adrian Mateos Wins 2017 WSOP $10k Heads-Up Championship

Adrian Mateos has won Event #15 of the 2017 WSOP, the $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship, after besting a field of 129 players over three days to claim the title, as well as a first place prize of $335,656.
The Spanish pro has now won a total of three WSOP gold bracelets throughout his career, which at the age of just 22 makes him the youngest player ever to have accomplished such a feat. Mateos’ first win came in 2013 at the WSOP Europe after taking down the €10,450 Main Event for €1,000,000, while in 2016 he subsequently captured the $1,500 Summer Solstice NLHE event for $409,171. Following his latest victory in Las Vegas, Mateos who now boasts $9,172,532 in live tournament earnings, commented:
“It’s insane that I have three bracelets. It’s really difficult to win three bracelets and I’m 22. I run good and I think I play good so that’s all that matters.”
Having been given a bye in the initial round, Mateos then went on to defeat Daniel Negreanu, followed by Ian O’Hara, before doing likewise to Eric Wasserson, Taylor Paur, Ryan Hughes, and Charlie Carrel to progress all the way through to the final. There 70-year-old U.S. Army veteran John Smith awaited him, with a 58 year age gap separating the two competitors.
Following an exciting battle, the entertaining final was ultimately decided after Smith (Qh-8d) reraised all-in on an As-9s-3h flop, and was called by Mateos (5s-2s), who at this point was drawing to both a straight and flush. The Qs and Kc that arrived on turn and river sealed the deal, and so Smith collected $208,154 for his hard-fought efforts, a sum not far off the $198,192 he earned after finishing runner-up in the same event last year against Alan Percal.
In the meantime, Adrian Mateos was awarded the gold bracelet, and later commented: “There aren’t many heads-up events in the year, so I really want to play. I was really focused for every round to win and I really like to play heads-up so it’s really fun.”
WSOP Heads-Up Championship Results:
1: Adrian Mateos $336,656
2: John Smith $208,154
3: Charlie Carrel $112,379
3: Ryan Riess $112,379
5: Ryan Hughes $54,986
5: Olivier Busquet $54,986
5: Jack Duong $54,986
5: Ryan Fee $54,986