Winning hand: KQJ109
Name: Juan Carlos Mortensen
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Cashes: 62
Total Winnings: $4,231,109
First Place Finishes: 11
WSOP Bracelets: 2
ProRank 1 Position: 9
Marital Status: Married
Nickname: El Matador
Carlos 'El Matador' Mortensen
Carlos Mortensen, nicknamed "El Matador," was born in Ambato, Ecuador, in 1972 to a Spanish mother. When Mortensen was a teenager, his family relocated to Madrid, Spain. Mortensen was first introduced to the game of poker at a local club where his friends and him used to play chess. One day, the guys started up a poker game and young Mortensen decided to join them. From that day on, he could no longer detach himself from the game.
Becoming very successful in poker led Mortensen to consider a full-time poker pro career. He started playing tournament poker, first close to home in Europe and later on in Las Vegas. Eventually, somewhere in the 90's, Mortensen and his wife, Cecilia Reyes, also a poker player, made Sin City their hometown. In an interview, Mortensen was reported as saying that they spend two months each year in Spain and from their they travel to the major European tournaments taking place in Paris, Amsterdam and London. The rest of the year they typically stay in the States.
The ever-confident Mortensen entered the 2001 World Series of Poker main event when he was 29 years old. There were as many as 612 entrants to the WSOP that year. El Matador remembers having $28,000 in his pocket the first day he played. On the fourth day, he had already accumulated $875,000. Mortensen took his time to study his opponents' styles and ultimately used this information against them. The final hands saw two great players - the insatiable Juan Carlos and seasoned player Dewey Tomko, an owner of three WSOP bracelets. When the two opponents started their final hand combat, Mortensen had nearly $4.1 million in chips and Tomko had about $2 million.
The final hand offered a surprise making Mortensen sweat. Carlos was a marriage of clubs when he called Dewey's $100,000 wager. On the flop, the dealer revealed a jack of diamonds and a 10 and 3 of clubs. Dewey raised the pot to $500,000, Carlos decide to move all-in. Next, on the turn, the dealer showed a 3 of diamonds. Carlos desperately needed a 9 or an Ace to make a straight, or any club card to make a flush. To Mortensen's delight, the river delivered a 9 of diamonds, and Dewey Tomko nabbed only the second place prize. El Matador was crowned the 2001 WSOP Winner. He took come $1.5 million.
Among Mortensen's other big wins was also the 2004 World Poker Tour Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship boasting a $1,000,000 first place prize. His other memorable money finishes include: the World Heads-UP Poker Championship and the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament. As of 2006, Mortensen boasts 2 WSOP bracelets and more than $4,370,000 in tournament winnings. He made three final tables at the 2006 World Series of Poker.
Player Results
| Event |
Prize |
Place |
Date |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 WSOP, Main Event |
$1,500,000 |
1st |
May 18, 2001 |
No Limit Hold 'em |
Shooting Star Tournament |
$44,550 |
1st |
Mar 26, 2001 |
No Limit Hold 'em |
Californian State Poker Championship, Event #3 |
$25,191 |
1st |
Jun 9, 2002 |
Limit Omaha Hi/Lo |
World Poker Finals WPT Season 1, Event #21 |
$53,280 |
1st |
Nov 9, 2002 |
Pot Limit Hold 'em |
34th Annual Word Series of Poker, Event #34 |
$251,680 |
1st |
May 17, 2003 |
WSOP Limit Hold 'em |
LA Poker Classic – WPT Season 2, Event #22 |
$117,650 |
1st |
Feb 19, 2004 |
Pot Limit Hold 'em |
World Poker Player Association (WPPA) Championship of Poker, Shootout |
$16,780 |
1st |
Oct 6, 2004 |
No Limit Hold 'em |
2004 Festa al LagoIII/Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship- WPT Event Season 3, WPT Main Event |
$1,000,000 |
1st |
Oct 22, 2004 |
No Limit Hold 'em |
Grand Casino Tunica Poker Tournament – WSOP Circuit Event, Event #21 |
$53,105 |
1st |
Jan 22, 2006 |
WSOP Circuit Limit H.O.R.S.E |
The Johny Chain Invitational |
$139,195 |
1st |
Sep 15, 2006 |
No Limit Hold 'em |
Heavenly Hold 'em Tournament, Event #4 |
$4,047 |
2nd |
Sep 11, 2000 |
Pot Limit Hold 'em |
Mirage Poker Showdown/ WPT Event Season 4 |
$72,844 |
2nd |
May 16, 2005 |
No Limit Hold 'em |
37th Annual World Series of Poker, Event #33 |
$94,908 |
2nd |
Jul 22, 2006 |
WSOP Razz Seven Card |
Californian State Poker Championship, Event #12 |
$5,050 |
3rd |
Jun 18, 2002 |
Limit 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo |
Barcelona Open – EPT/ Pokerstars Season 2 |
$19,659 |
3rd
|
Sep 14, 2005 |
No Limit Hold 'em Final Table Heads Up |
33rd Annual WSOP, Event 19 |
$40,940 |
4th |
May 6, 2002 |
Limit 7-Card Stud |
Borgata Poker4 Open WPT Season 2 |
$70,500 |
4th |
Sep 22, 2003 |
WPT No Limit Hold 'em |
4th Annual World Heads Up Poker Championship |
$20,000 |
4th |
Jun 18, 2004 |
Heads Up – No Limit Hold 'em |
World Poker Player Association (WPPA) Championship of Poker |
$32,125 |
4th |
Oct 11, 2004 |
No Limit Hold 'em |
Caesars Las Vegas Poker Tournament – WSOP Circuit Event, Event #37 |
$17,500 |
5th |
May 2, 2006 |
WSOP Circuit |
Heavenly Hold 'em Tournament, Event #7 |
$909 |
6th |
Sep 14, 2000 |
Pot Limit Hold 'em |
Legends of Poker WPT Season 1, Event #3 |
$3,810 |
6th |
Aug 2, 2002 |
No Limit Hold 'em |
31st Annual WSOP, Event #20 |
$22,575 |
7th |
May 12, 2000 |
WSOP No Limit Hold 'em |
Heavenly Hold 'em Tournament, Event #9 |
$1,365 |
7th |
Sep 16, 2000 |
No Limit Hold 'em |
Californian State Poker Championship, Event #2 |
$1,620 |
7th |
Jun 8, 2002 |
Limit 7-Card Stud |
L.A. Poker Classic – WPT Season 1 |
$4,950 |
7th |
Feb 19, 2003 |
No Limit Hold 'em |
Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic – WPT Season 1, Event #21 |
$10,145 |
8th |
Dec 12, 2002 |
WPT No Limit Hold 'em |
World Poker Finals, Event #16 |
$13,260 |
9th |
Nov 19, 2000 |
No Limit Hold 'em |
Five-Star World Poker Classic – WPT Championship Season 1 |
$7,820 |
9th |
Apr 12, 2003 |
No Limit Hold 'em |
WPT Invitational $200,00 Freeroll |
$2,000 |
9th |
Feb 25, 2004 |
WPT No Limit Hold 'em |
37th Annual WSOP, Event #2 |
$71,617 |
9th |
Jun 27, 2006 |
WSOP No Limit Hold 'em |
37th Annual WSOP, Event #6 |
$73,344 |
9th |
Jul 1, 2006 |
WSOP No Limit Hold 'em |
L.A. Poker Classic – WPT Season 1, Event #21 |
$21,355 |
10th |
Feb 24, 2003 |
Pot Limit Hold 'em |
6th World Head Up Championship |
$6,553 |
10th |
May 28, 2006 |
No Limit Hold 'em WHUPC |
37th Annual WSOP, Event #17 |
$38,939 |
10th |
Jul 10, 2006 |
WSOP No Limit Hold 'em |