Carlos Mortensen
Following the 2015 Poker Hall of Fame selections of John Juanda and Jennifer Harman, most of the conversation afterward has centered on how non-Americans have very little chance to make the PHOF. Specifically, the only non-American in the Hall is Edmund Hoyle, who died in 1769 and was selected in 1980. With all the talk about how the HOF voting needs to be less biased, it seems like a European player/contributor could make it in next year. That said, let’s discuss three Europeans who could potentially land in the 2016 Poker Hall of Fame class.
1. Carlos Mortensen
Purely from a tournament perspective, Carlos Mortensen is a shoo-in for the Poker Hall of Fame. He has $11.91 million in live tournament winnings along with two WSOP gold bracelets and three WPT titles. Furthermore, “El Matador” won the 2001 WSOP Main Event and the 2007 WPT Championship. About the only thing that Mortensen can’t claim on his resume is a successful high stakes career. However, there are other players who don’t quite satisfy this requirement either.
2. Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott
- Carlos Mortensen Born in Spain, on April 13, 1972, Carlos Mortensen is best known for being a person. According to FamousDetails, he was born in the Year of the Rat. Spanish professional poker champion known for playing loose and bluffing big.
- Juan Carlos Mortensen (born April 13, 1972 in Ambato, Ecuador) is an Ecuadorian professional poker player of Danish descent and the only South American Main Event winner of the World Series of Poker. Mortensen is known for his loose play, bluffing tactics, and interesting chip-stacking style.
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There was an emotional aspect involved in Ulliott’s 2015 bid for the PHOF, given that he passed away this year. So when Ulliott didn’t make it in, there were some cries from fellow European players who questioned the all-American voting panel for the HOF. Will Devilfish make it in next year as a result of the outcry? Ulliott’s resume is borderline, with $6 million in tournament winnings and a gold bracelet. However, his entertaining personality adds something to his bid for the PHOF.
3. Bruno Fitoussi
Based purely on his playing career, Bruno Fitoussi falls short of the Hall. He has $2.79 million in tourney earnings, but has never had a major victory. However, what pushes Fitoussi’s resume over the top is that he’s perhaps the most-instrumental person in the history of French poker. Fitoussi brought poker to Aviation Club de France and also influenced many French citizens to take up the game.
Carlos Mortensen(pictured right) made history on March 24 when he won the World Poker Tour Hollywood Poker Open $10,000 no-limit hold’em championship event. It was the third time that Mortensen has won a WPT title, and it ties him with Gus Hansen for the most WPT victories ever. Mortensen won his first title at Festa al Lago in 2004, and he became the only player to win both the World Series of Poker main-event title and the WPT Championship during his career when he captured the marquee WPT title in 2007.
Mortensen came into the final table with the chip lead and then he proceeded to beat four young online professionals and Chris Bell, who was appearing at his fourth WPT final table. The tournament was small, with a turnout of 143 players, but Mortensen ensured that the first WPT event in the Midwest was a success by providing a compelling story line. He became the most decorated player in WPT history in the process, and also increased his career earnings to more than $9.6 million. Read on below to see how he achieved the win.
Seat 1: Mike Mustafa — 990,000
Seat 2: Jerry Payne — 268,000
Seat 3: Carlos Mortensen — 1,127,000
Seat 4: Ravi Raghavan — 488,000
Seat 5: Chris Bell — 372,000
Seat 6: Frank Calo — 1,075,000
The start of the final table played out with the three short-stacks falling in the first 37 hands. Jerry Payne exited first in sixth place ($88,791) when his Q-10 ran into the A-K of Mike Mustafa. Ravi Raghavan moved all in preflop next with pocket fives. Unfortunately for him, Frank Calo was eager to make the call with pocket kings. The board changed nothing, and Raghavan was awarded $105,234 in fifth place.
Two hands later, Bell took his shot at doubling up when he moved all in with A-9 preflop. Mortensen made the call with pocket fours, and he found a third 4 on the board to win the hand. Bell busted in fourth place ($124,966). Each of the survivors had now claimed an elimination at the final table, and their chip counts were as close as possible entering three-handed action. Mortensen led the way with 1,458,000, and Calo was just 1,000 behind him. Mustafa was last in the chip standings, but he was just 55,000 behind Mustafa. Just over two big blinds separated the final three in a gridlock.
An extended period of three-handed play came to an end when Mortensen raised to 90,000 from the small blind preflop, and Calo made the call from the big blind. The flop was dealt 5 4 2, and Mortensen bet 150,000. Calo thought for a moment and then moved all in. Mortensen made the call, and they flipped over their cards:
Mortensen: 3 3
Calo: 5 4
Turn and River: 8 and 3
Mortensen rivered a set of threes and he won the hand to grow his stack to 2,249,000. Calo was eliminated in third place, and he took home $167,717 in prize money.
Mortensen held a slight lead heading into the heads-up final, and he soon increased his lead to a 3-1 chip advantage. Mustafa fought back when he made a check-raise worth 660,000 on an A Q 9 7 board to win a pot worth 880,000 uncontested. Mustafa then took a slight lead, but Mortensen doubled up to take a commanding lead. Mortensen moved all in with 8 7 on a flop of 10 9 6, and Mustafa had made the call with 10 9. The turn and river brought the J and the 3, and Mortensen doubled up to almost 4 million.
Mustafa was crippled with just 180,00 after the hand, and although he did manage to double up twice after the big hit, he essentially lost the tournament when Mortensen doubled up. The final blow came when Mortensen raised to 730,000 preflop and Mustafa made the all-in call. Their cards:
Mustafa: 6 6
Mortensen: K 10
Cecilia Reyes Mortensen
Board: J 10 3 J 5
Mortensen won the hand and the tournament with a king-high flush. Mustafa was eliminated in second place and he took home $223,623. Mortensen was awarded $393,820 along with his third WPT title.
Carlos Mortensen - Poker For Free
1st Place: Carlos Mortensen — $393,820
2nd Place: Mike Mustafa — $223,623
3rd Place: Frank Calo — $167,717
4th Place: Chris Bell — $124,966
5th Place: Ravi Raghavan — $105,234
6th Place: Jerry Payne — $88,791
The next WPT event is the international stop in Bucharest, Romania. The €3,000 no-limit hold’em main event runs from March 27 – April 2. The WPT Championship for season VIII will run from April 18-24 at Bellagio in Las Vegas.
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