Why is Spain a poker superpower?

In recent years, Spain has become a top touristic destination and it also usually rings a bell when talking about poker.

Spain.- Spain is one of the top touristic destinations in the world and is also related to poker. Why? Because players have won millions of dollars in online poker games in Spain, and their flag is usually on top of the podium in events around the world. Trusted sites like 888Poker organize many of these events, that has an incredible offer in the country.

When the names of Adrián Mateos, Sergio Aido, or Ramón Colillas are mentioned at a poker table, the villains know it will be a long journey, and probably the first place already has an owner.

There is no secret why the United States leads the ranking of the countries with the highest profits in poker, but why is Spain, among all the others, emerging as a poker superpower?

There are several reasons, and of course, coincidence is not one of them.

Well-educated players

The main reason behind the success of many Spanish players is their background. Some of the largest poker schools in the world were founded in Spain, and, in general, the community is at the forefront of new strategies.

Almost 500 million people speak the Spanish language, and after Mandarin Chinese, it’s the second most widely spoken native language in the world. That diversity makes it easier to find tons of information, courses, videos, and any training materials about poker.

Famous professionals

In recent years, many Spanish players have won massive poker tournaments worldwide, live, and online. Some of them are true rock stars and have thousands of followers on social media.

This encourages new players to follow their path to success. Of course, it’s not an easy task to accomplish. But let’s remember that the first and only online poker boom came after Chris Moneymaker won the WSOP Main Event for 2,5 million dollars after qualifying online with just a few bucks.

Many of these professional poker players have founded poker schools to share their knowledge, and this has become an excellent support for the Spanish poker team.

Regulated industry

Spain regulated the gambling industry in 2012. After facing resistance from the community (many grinders migrated to other countries), the market has stabilized in recent years:

• industry profits keep growing steadily year after year;
• The largest gambling holdings have acquired licenses to operate on the market.

Although some players may consider taxes high, the facts prove that many people are willing to pay the price for playing legally. Serious grinders rely more on a regulated industry and focus their efforts on better results.

Shared liquidity

Two years ago, Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal signed a shared liquidity agreement that allows gambling operators to mix the pool of their players, resulting in a significant boost in the number of tables available.

Following this, the guaranteed prize pools of tournament series became more prominent, resulting in more players joining the games, and a small boom in Spain.

One thing is for real: Spanish poker players have won more than 200M dollars in poker events around the world (including online), regardless of the results of Spaniards who have emigrated to other countries. 
In the coming years, it won’t be shocking to see a Spanish poker player win the most recognized events in the World Series of Poker.