Jorge Mena-Esteban

Jorge Mena-Esteban is a Spanish professional poker player from Palencia. He began playing poker in his teens with Five Card Draw among friends before discovering Texas Hold'em about four years ago through an online betting site banner. Initially focusing on Limit Hold'em, he quickly found success, once turning $2,000 into $80,000 over two days. His studies in statistics helped him take the game seriously and transition to a professional career, playing Limit short-stack at stakes of 50/100 and 100/200 online without the use of tracking software.

Mena-Esteban’s biggest live achievement came at the CEP (Circuito Español de Póquer) Málaga event, where he defeated a field of 205 players to claim first place. During the final table, he was significantly below the average chip count (at one point with three players left, two opponents had six and four times his stack). He employed an aggressive strategy, showing many of his hands to confuse opponents, and got paid off with aces against an opponent's 8-2. He also acknowledged the luck needed at crucial moments. He was the tournament’s “Matador” with 17 eliminations, earning a seat to the Grand Final in Casino de Mallorca.

Beyond the CEP Málaga win, Mena-Esteban has several final-table finishes in the monthly tournaments at Casino Gran Madrid in Torrelodones, as well as a runner-up finish in a side event at the CEP Tarragona earlier the same year.

Mena-Esteban is known for his aggressive, short-stack strategy, often taking risks to build chips. He is comfortable playing without software assistance online. In live events, he employs a deceptive approach, sometimes showing bluffs to gain future value.