This interview and accompanying article were prepared by Guille San Martin for the Spanish PokerStars Blog and subsequently translated into English and edited for publication.

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For Soraya Estrada, 2025 has been the year that confirmed her volume, consistency and well-measured ambition were worthwhile. 

The Mallorca native has spent the year travelling to poker festivals and enjoying deep run after deep run, establishing herself as one of the most solid players on the European circuit. A finalist in the Mini Irish Open, good results in Namur, Málaga and Malta, multiple final tables at PokerStars festivals… and, above all, one clear turning point: 4th place in the Main Event of an international festival in Cyprus for $132,100, the biggest cash of her career.

The numbers back up the story: more than $250,000 in live cashes in 2025 and a level of consistency that very few people can sustain for so many months in a row. All this while she was–and still is–fighting for the PS Live League – Low, travelling to almost every stop and balancing a schedule full of satellites and Women’s Events.

But Estrada’s story didn’t start this year…

It goes way back:

• Poker Pro Masters champion, defeating Sergio Aído in the final.
• Winner of the Women’s Event at EPT Barcelona.
• EPT Prague trophy in the Hyper Turbo KO.
• SCOOP $2,100 Warm-Up champion for $101,582.
• A long MTT career online, with many notable results.

At festivals, it’s clear that, for her, it’s never just about results. Estrada still enjoys the game like it was day one: she qualifies through satellites, travels with her partner, spends hours on the rail cheering and celebrates all good news with the same genuine smile. Her way of understanding the game is built on three simple ideas that are hard to sustain at the same time: compete, improve and enjoy.

2025 has also added an extra challenge: a real shot at the PS Live League – Low, where Soraya remains in the upper reaches of the standings, within touching distance of the podium.

In this interview, we look back on that entire journey: satellites and bubbles, good days and tough ones, the grind shared with Gerard Carbó, Women’s Events, mindset, community… and a dream that no longer feels so far away: one day wearing the PokerStars Ambassador jacket.

PS Live League – Low standings

This is how Soraya Estrada approaches the home stretch of the PS Live League – Low, in a leaderboard where two more Spanish players —Artús Giménez and, fittingly, Gerard Carbó— still have a very real shot at cracking the top 10.

LOW

Last updated: Thursday, December 11 (09:30)

1. Steinn Du Karlsson (Iceland) 927 pts
2. David Docherty (UK) 898
3. Andreas Froehli (Switzerland) 885
4. Soraya Estrada (Spain) 833
5. Thomas Clack (UK) 593

Interview with Soraya Estrada

PokerStars Blog: 2025 has been a huge year for you: travelling, deep runs and several more trophies added to your collection. If you had to choose one tournament or moment that really gave you the confidence to fight for the Low League, which would it be and why?

This has probably been the year in which we’ve travelled the most. Basically, we’ve gone to all the PokerStars events, and we’ve also been to Cyprus three times (we loved it from the first time we went there, thanks to the EPT).

I’d say the moment when I realised I was really going to fight for the Low League was after the Mini Main Event at the Irish Open. I felt really good throughout the whole tournament, very confident, and thanks to that result, I knew I was going to go for the Low… I was so excited! For me, as someone who doesn’t manage a very big bankroll, it has been a real blessing to be able to compete specifically in the Low League.

Even though I still haven’t won a live title in PokerStars events this year (for now), making several deep runs in very big-field tournaments and reaching final tables in smaller events has allowed me to stay right in the mix for the podium places.

You’re the only woman in the upper part of the leaderboard. What moves you more: breaking a barrier or simply proving your level and winning on pure merit?

I feel very proud of myself, because only I know everything I’ve had to battle through to get here and to stay on this path, fighting not only at the tables but away from them as well. I don’t pretend to be the best player in Spain, but I do want to be the best player I can be, and I think I’m on the right track.

I don’t set out to be a role model either, although sometimes it’s inevitable, and it’s something I don’t mind – quite the opposite, in fact! I’ve had messages from women telling me they feel motivated when they see me battling in the spots I’m in, and I truly believe that having female role models in any field (sport, game or profession) can be decisive for more women to take the step or get more involved in the game at a more competitive level.

Personally, I’ve always moved in environments where men are the majority, and I’ve felt comfortable and supported. The fact that there were few women around has never put me off, but it does make me really happy to see that there are more and more of us, because it means we’re breaking stereotypes and opening new paths as a society.

For all these reasons, I won’t deny that I feel very proud to be the only woman in the standings right now, but at the same time, I wish there were more. I’m convinced that, in time, we’ll see more women competing at the top of the table.

BUILDING A POKER CAREER AROUND SATELLITES

You play a lot of satellites, both online and at the festivals, and you also tend to qualify several times for Main Events and bigger tournaments. What role have satellites played in your season? What do they give you in terms of confidence, volume and preparation?

I love satellites for many reasons. They allow you to make dreams come true without having to sacrifice such a big part of your bankroll as when you pay the full buy-in of the target tournament. For me, qualifying is the way I can “treat myself” and play events I couldn’t otherwise afford, and have the chance to battle against some of the best players in the world.

Most of my best results have come thanks to qualifying via satellites.

The EPT satellites, where you can win your seat plus hotel, are my favourites, because you get the full experience. Despite qualifying for several EPTs, I still haven’t made the money in any of them; that’s my next goal for Prague.

When I’m at EPT festivals, the live satellites are very dynamic and fun, and in just a few hours, you can multiply your investment by 5 or 10.

Then there are the Power Path satellites (where you can qualify for cents), which are fantastic. I’ve managed to win a Silver Pass for every EPT stop this year and last year… a dream for me! I also won a Gold Pass, which I decided to swap for online tournament tickets that I’m now using to keep qualifying for live events.

Could I say that my career as a tournament player revolves around satellites? You could say that partly, yes.

We’ve already started to put together the calendar for next season, as I’ve already qualified for EPT Paris and the Irish Open.

On the flip side of how happy it makes you to qualify, it has to be said: if bubbling a tournament is tough, bubbling a satellite is on another level. I’ve bubbled so many satellites that I’ve almost become a bit immune to the blow of bubbling practically any event.

I’ve had to work on that feeling of frustration and sadness that appears when you string together several satellite bubbles. At the end of the day, it’s part of being a tournament player, and you have to learn to accept the less glamorous side of poker, because for almost any player, the path is far from easy, no matter how good they are.

LESSONS LEARNED AND FAVOURITE MOMENTS

You’ve played live for many days in a row: travelling, hotels, good runs, bad runs… What’s the real lesson you take from this year of road trips and tournaments?

This year has once again been very intense. We’ve been travelling non-stop for three years now, and I’m sure this won’t be the last. I’m taking away the lesson that you have to listen to your body and your mind, understand yourself and respect your own rhythm. I need to set aside quality time to unplug from poker during these trips, because it can very easily turn into a routine of going from the hotel to the tournament area and back to the hotel. For me, it’s essential, especially when you’re chaining several trips one after another.

Another thing I’ve learned is not to forget why I’m here: to enjoy the journey and to learn. I have nothing to prove and nothing to lose; I have to be grateful for everything I have and everything that’s coming, give my best and accept what’s not in my hands and what I can’t change. It’s important to keep all of this in mind, because sometimes we normalise it so much and get so caught up in this frenetic lifestyle that we forget the essentials and what really drives us.

What has been your favourite moment of the entire 2025 live season? It could be a tournament, a final table, a specific day… or even a memory away from the tables.

My professional career is very important to me, although sometimes I feel I almost enjoy Gerard’s achievements more than my own, and I always have my family very present; the time I spend with them completely recharges my batteries.

That’s why I can’t pick just one moment… Playing the most important live final table of my career in Cyprus, with $420,000 up top, where I finished fourth (for the biggest live cash of my career). The moment when Gerard lifted the trophy in Namur from the stage, like a MotoGP winner on the top step of the podium. Being on his rail on the final day of the Open in Malta was also very special.

Singing and dancing with my sister, Rockstar and Givenchy at full blast at a Duki concert was another one… and finishing the year and starting the new one with my family is always my favourite part of the year.

“SEEING SO MANY WOMEN PLAYING MADE ME REALLY HAPPY”

You’ve played many Women’s Events this year, and you still clearly enjoy them. What do these tournaments mean to you, and what do you think they bring to the circuit?

I love playing Women’s Events whenever I can. Of course, every tournament feels different, and every table is its own world, but my feeling when I play women-only events is that the atmosphere is more welcoming and close-knit, and not so competitive at the beginning. It’s more than just a tournament; it’s a space for meeting, learning and connecting, where no player feels judged or intimidated. I’m not saying that open events are intimidating, or that we feel all men are going to judge us or that no woman does – but it’s clear that many women who have never played live before find these events to be a more comfortable and accessible entry point.

As long as there is a participation gap, I think it’s really important that these events continue, as they offer affordable buy-ins, usually last just one day, and the atmosphere tends to be relaxed. They’re also a great chance to meet other players and build relationships.

It’s also a way of giving visibility to women, whose names often go unnoticed compared to the predominance of men.

I remember the Winter Women’s Festival in London very fondly, which I attended as a PokerStars guest. It was really special; it felt like a poker party. Seeing so many women playing made me really happy, because for once it didn’t feel like we were the exception – we felt like part of a growing community.

With such a busy schedule and so much travelling, it’s impossible to be at every stop. How do you organise your year to compete, rest and, at the same time, stay in touch with the League?

The truth is, we always prioritise going to PokerStars events, because we genuinely feel very comfortable on every trip. We’ve had a great relationship with the team from the very beginning, thanks to their kindness and closeness, and we also feel very comfortable with the professionalism of everyone involved. Plus, the off-poker moments around PokerStars activities are very important for socialising and switching off from the tables.

Back home, when we’re not playing live, we play online. We enjoy it too, even though right now I grind much less than I used to. I’m prioritising having a better routine and, for me, that means grinding fewer days and fewer hours.

We spend our holidays with our families – we visit them twice a year.

HOW TO IMPROVE

In what area do you feel you’ve improved the most as a player this year? And on the flip side, what part would you like to refine before Prague and Cannes?

As a player, I feel I’ve improved my mindset a lot. I’ve stopped feeling frustrated by the things I don’t know or by what I think I should know and have forgotten.

Before Prague and Cannes, I’d like to fine-tune a few things regarding live satellites, because having to reach a specific chip target changes the dynamics compared to online satellites. Next year I’ve promised myself I’ll dive deeper into the topic of tells. I see myself as someone who understands everyday verbal communication quite well, and I’d like to refine that and focus on what I’m picking up at the tables.

On top of that, I’ve started to build a more consistent movement routine, together with a more mindful way of eating, and I try to do a few minutes of meditation and mindfulness every day to stay more connected with myself, with what I want and what I need each day. Now, the challenge is to keep it going. And it is a challenge, precisely because it’s hard to maintain a stable routine when you’re travelling so much, but I think I’ll at least be able to maintain a minimum baseline, as long as it remains a priority for me – which it is right now and should continue to be.

ON LIVE LEAGUE

You’re competing in the League at the same time as Carbó, you travel together, grind together and live the entire process side by side. What does it mean to run this race alongside your partner? What’s the beautiful part… and what gets hardest when the tough days come?

Gerard is a huge support as a partner, a great teacher and a reference point as a player – I admire him a lot. It’s very special for me to be on this journey together. Although I’ve been playing since I was 18 as a recreational player, I started taking it more seriously in the year of Covid, when we moved in together. Since then I decided to put my teaching career on hold to start this adventure with Gerard: we moved to Andorra, we grind together, we study together, we travel together to almost every stop. I feel very lucky not to have any ties that stop me from making all these trips with him, and to love poker enough to play at a competitive level.

I have to say I dream of this journey, including a chapter where we’re a couple of ambassadors. It would make me incredibly happy; I really feel we complement each other very well.

The hardest part, I imagine, is that it’s very difficult for us to completely disconnect from poker, and sometimes it really is good to take a step back.

Your trophy cabinet is getting more and more impressive. Just for fun: how many more trophies do you think you’ll need before you seriously consider buying another shelf at home?

The truth is I actually get more excited about having photos of my wins on the shelves – surrounded by friends, with all that energy and happiness captured in them – than the trophies themselves. I keep the trophies so I can share them with the people I love and who support me on this path.

You’re two of the most popular players in the Spanish community. What does it mean to feel that affection on every trip? What does the community give you, and what do you try to give back when you’re at a festival?

My heart is full from all the support I always feel from the community, from friends, from fellow players and, above all, from my family… I always say my parents are my biggest fans, and a big part of that is thanks to all the professionals who work to show the world everything that happens at festivals, so that people can feel us close even when we’re far away.

As for us, Gerard and I created a joint Instagram account a little over two years ago, where we started posting stories. I think it’s a great way to complement all that professional work and bring it into more of a first-person format. We genuinely enjoy doing it because the feedback has been really positive. Our followers like the content and it keeps reaching more people, which motivates us to keep interacting. I’ve also started creating reels and I hope to be able to post them more regularly.

We’ve been sharing our League standings with our followers since April, so people are very aware of how we’re doing in the competition.

ON POTENTIALLY BECOMING A POKERSTARS AMBASSADOR

If tomorrow you were told you’re a PokerStars Ambassador, what would it mean to you and what would you like to bring to the role?

Until this year, I hadn’t really considered becoming an ambassador, mainly because I was very focused on playing as much and as well as possible. And suddenly, thanks to a PokerStars promotion, I find myself with a real chance of achieving it thanks to the great results I’ve had this year. It feels incredible – it’s a dream just to be in the conversation.

To be honest, I don’t see myself being an ambassador for any room other than PokerStars. I’m very demanding when it comes to standards of security, integrity, professionalism and customer care, so it would be an immense pleasure to have the chance to be one of the faces of PokerStars.

It’s funny, because for quite some time people at festivals have been asking me if I’m already an ambassador. I imagine it’s because they see me at every PokerStars event and maybe my personality fits what people imagine an ambassador to be like. The truth is I genuinely enjoy everything that happens around a live event. I feel really at home, and I think that shows.

Without a doubt, in addition to my commitment and dedication, my strongest point is my social skills – the ease with which I connect with people. I’d love to keep creating very cool video content with the social media team, because I truly enjoy sharing my experience and bringing poker closer to more people.

Over the years, I’ve built a name for myself in the community, as I play very regularly and a lot of people follow me because of that. I come from a humble family, I’m a woman and I’m passionate about the social and community side of the game, so I’m convinced that my story and my enthusiasm can inspire a lot of people.

What do you think of the PS Live League promotion? What has competing in it given you in terms of motivation, scheduling and ambition?

I think it’s amazing that they decided to run this promotion. It’s yet another reason to attend most of their festivals, adding an extra competitive layer to the game and rewarding the loyalty of their players.

When I first saw it, I thought it was a brilliant idea and, even though at the beginning I didn’t intend to fight for it, once I started the year well I was full of excitement and energy – I felt more motivated than ever. What started out as being happy just to be in the top 10 and have a shot at becoming an ambassador has turned into a more ambitious goal: I want to finish first in the Low leaderboard.

I know my rivals and friends who are in the top three and they’re all great people, but they shouldn’t take anything for granted, because I’m going all-in for Prague and Cannes! I’m incredibly proud to see my name alongside players like Gfor, Grubi, César and Malaka, who are reference points not only in Spain but internationally as well. I have a great relationship with all of them and, if I don’t end up becoming an ambassador, I’ll be genuinely happy if one of them does. And of course, next year I’ll do everything I can to keep my name at the top of the PokerStars League.

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