Raúl Mestre
Player. Writer. Coach. Whatever word you use to describe Raúl Mestre, he’s a legend of the game due to his pioneering takes that are now commonplace throughout the industry.
Hailing from Spain, he recognized the opportunities the poker boom offered and devised a way to get involved. Before long, he made his name as a high-stakes, online cash game specialist, mainly due to his disciplined approach that helped him rise through the ranks.
It wasn’t rare to see Raúl at the business end of tournaments, especially the European Poker Tour (EPT), where he reached the final table in Prague and Barcelona. With over $1,000,000 in live tournament earnings, Raúl has nothing to prove, yet he still returned to PokerStars Spin & Go Championship Live in Paris after a hiatus of almost a decade. He showed no rustiness, claiming 1st place and over €50,000 in prize money.
But it wasn’t just his prowess or analytical playing style, resulting in some of the earliest viral moments on the felt, that fuelled his legacy. Raúl’s greatest achievements have arguably come away from the table due to his commitment to teaching.
In 2009, he founded EducaPoker, a unique poker school that centers on a community-driven approach to learning the game. Nowadays, sharing strategies to grow as a player is a standard technique; in the noughties, it was an innovative concept very few had considered.
Through EducaPoker, Raúl has helped develop thousands of players into professionals, playing a key role in establishing Spain as one of the strongest poker nations in Europe, as well as leaving his mark on the industry globally.
Respected for his forward-thinking approach and commitment to poker, as well as for his influential voice in the industry, Raúl is undoubtedly an excellent addition to the PokerStars family. After all, he’s still got a couple of lessons to teach the poker community.
Raúl plays online poker on PokerStars under the username ‘SirDonaldRM’.