The World Poker Tour last week held its first tournament in the Midwest region of the United States, the Hollywood Poker Open in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Although the $9,600 + $400 buyin event only drew 143 entrants, there were still some quality players in the field, including Eric Froehlich, Josh Arieh and Carlos Mortensen.
It was Mortensen who eventually claimed the title, beating Mike Mustafa in an epic heads up duel. Despite it being Mustafa’s first ever World Poker Tour cash, his relative inexperience didn’t prevent the man from Illinois making a real fight of it. After falling behind and grinding back to take the lead, a period of two hours without an all-in followed, before Mortensen flopped a straight against Mustafa’s top two pair to leave the latter crippled. Mustafa still managed to double through twice, but was eventually eliminated when his pocket pair of sixes was no match for Mortensen’s overcards.
This victory was Carlos Mortensen’s third title on the World Poker Tour, equalling Gus Hansen’s haul of three WPT titles and moving “The Matador” into the all-time money lead, overtaking Daniel Negreanu, with over $5.75 million earned from WPT events.
Born Juan Carlos Mortensen in Ambata, Ecuador, Mortensen moved to Spain in the 1990s to play poker full time. He didn’t have to wait too long for his first major victory, when he became the first Hispanic winner of the World Series of Poker Championship Event in 2001, picking up $1.5 million dollars in the process.
A fearsome tournament player famed for his aggression, Mortensen also has a World Series of Poker bracelet in Fixed Limit Hold’em and has cashed at the Las Vegas showpiece series a total of eighteen times, five of those coming in the 2006 series where he made the top ten of four separate events.
His three WPT titles have come from four televised final table appearances and he has cashed thirteen times in World Poker Tour events, including a ninth place finish at last month’s LA Poker Classic. With almost $9.7 million in live tournament prize money to his name, he was the first person to win the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour championship events.
Turning 38 years old next month, Mortensen still has many years ahead of him as a professional poker player and will surely become one of the legendary names in poker.
Carlos Mortensen is a Full Tilt pro. Play alongside him at Full Tilt Poker.
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