On March 24th the World Poker Tour Hollywood Poker Open $10,000 no limit hold’em championship event finished up and Carlos Mortensen was the first place winner. What makes this win so unique is that it is the third time that Mortensen has won a World Poker Tour title. He is now tied with Gus Hansen for having the most World Poker Tour wins ever.
Mortensen first won a World Poker Title in 2004 at the Festa al Lago and then in 2007 he won the World Poker Tour Championship. He was also the 2001 World Series of Poker main event winner. What an accomplishment for any poker player!
In this event there were only 143 players competing so it would not take long before final table play began. Mortensen would come to final table play in the lead and it would not be long before he would earn his third World Poker Tour title.
It would just under forty hands of final table play and three players would go out. First would be Jerry Payne in sixth place after he ran into Mike Mustafa. Next in fifth would be Ravi Raghavan after he went up against Frank Calo. Just two hands later, Chris Bell would try to double up when he moved all in with his A-9 preflop.
Mortensen would call and show pocket fours and he would get a third four on the board to win the hand. Bell would go out in fourth and leave Mortenson, Frank Calo and Mike Mustafa to compete in three way play.
When three handed play began, all three men would be very close in chips. Mortensen was still on top followed very closely by Calo, who was just 1,000 behind him. Mustafa was pulling up the rear with just 55,000 behind Calo.
Three handed play would last awhile before a move would be made that would change the game. Mortensen raised to 90,000 from the small blind preflop and Calo would call. The flop was 5-4-2 and Mortenson would bet 150,000. Calo would think it over and then he moved all in. Mortensen made the call and both showed their cards.
Mortensen held pocket threes while Calo held 5-4 diamonds. The turn and river cards were an 8 and 3 and it was all over. Calo was out as Mortensen got trip threes. This caused Mortensen’s stack to grow considerably.
He would have a slight lead and would eventually increase his lead as two way play began. Mortensen would soon take Mustafa for a large pot and would be up to almost 4 million in chips before it was all over. On the final hand Mortensen raised 730,000 preflop and Mustafa made the all in call. Mustafa held pocket sixes and Mortensen held K-10. The board came J-10-3-J-5 and Mortensen won the hand as almost every card was a club, giving him a king high flush.
Final Results:
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