Carlos Mortensen
| Carlos Mortensen | |
|---|---|
 Mortensen at the $25,000 World Poker Tour No Limit Hold'em Championship | |
| Nickname(s) | El Matador[1] |
| Residence |
Spain United States |
| Born |
April 13, 1972 Ambato, Ecuador |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | 2 |
| Money finish(es) | 21 |
| Highest ITM Main Event finish | Winner, 2001 |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | 3 |
| Final table(s) | 5 |
| Money finish(es) | 15 |
| European Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | None |
| Money finish(es) | 1 |
Juan Carlos Mortensen (born April 13, 1972 in Ambato, Ecuador) is a Spanish professional poker player of Danish descent and the only Hispanic Main Event winner of the World Series of Poker. Mortensen is known for his loose play, bluffing tactics, and interesting chip-stacking style.[1]
Poker Career
World Series of Poker
Mortensen moved from Spain to the United States in the late 1990s to play poker. He won $1,500,000 at the 2001 World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event. He defeated a field of 613 players, including a very tough final table that included professional players Mike Matusow (6th), 1989 WSOP main event champion Phil Hellmuth (5th), Phil Gordon (4th), and Dewey Tomko (2nd). In the final hand, Mortensens' suited King-Queen out-drew and defeated Tomko's pocket aces, when Mortensens' hand improved to make a straight.
He won his second bracelet at the 2003 World Series of Poker in the $5,000 Limit Hold'em event, earning $251,680. He defeated professional player Mark Gregorich heads-up to win the title.
At the 2006 World Series of Poker Carlos made 3 final tables. He finished 9th in event #2 (NL Hold 'em) winning $71,617. He would once again finish 9th in event #6 (NL Hold 'em) earning him another $73,344. He came up just short of winning his 3rd bracelet in event #33 (Razz) where he finished runner-up to James Richburg earning him $94,908.
He is considered to be the last big-name poker professional to win the Main Event at the World Series of Poker. As a result of the poker boom, which ignited itself not long after his win, the fields in that tournament have increased exponentially making it extraordinarily more difficult for individual players to maintain consistent success in it. A few other big-name players have made the final table in the post-boom years since his win, but none of them have managed as of 2012 to win the title. He finished 10th in the 2013 WSOP Main Event, being the "Final Table Bubble Boy."
World Series of Poker bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship | $1,500,000 |
| 2003 | $5,000 Limit Hold'em | $251,680 |
World Poker Tour
In 2004, he won the World Poker Tour (WPT) Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship for $1,000,000. Mortensen won the Season Five World Poker Tour championship event, and its $3,970,415 first prize and his second WPT title, making him the first player to ever win the World Championship events at both the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour.
In 2010, Mortensen won the Season Eight WPT Hollywood Poker Open. With this win, he passed Daniel Negreanu for first on the all-time WPT money list, and tied Gus Hansen for most WPT titles with three.
Other Poker Tournaments
Mortensen has also made the prize money in the World Heads-Up Poker Championship, and was a semi-finalist in the second season of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament.
Mortensen also had a good run at the 2007 European Poker Tour Main Event in Monte Carlo finishing 11th, going out to Joshua Prager after making a straight on the turn, but defeated by a flush on the river.
In 2006, he and his wife, fellow poker player Cecilia Reyes Mortensen, divorced.
As of 2014, his total live tournament winnings exceed $11,400,000.[2] His 21 cashes as the WSOP account for $3,080,524 of those winnings.[3]
References
- 1 2 Shulman, Allyn Jaffrey (2004-12-31). "Juan Carlos Mortensen: El Matador!". CardPlayer.com. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ↑ Butt, Robert. "Carlos Mortensen – stats". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ↑ World Series of Poker Earnings, worldseriesofpoker.com
External links
- GENEALOGY, family origins of Carlos Mortensen in the Mauricio Alvarado-Dávila's genealogical database for Ecuador.
- World Poker Tour – profile
- Hendon Mob tournament results