Carlos Mortensen Wins $640,680 At LA Poker Classic
March 4, 2011 6:36 amSpanish legend Carlos Mortensen has just won $640,680 at the LA Poker Classic, after a third place finish at the World Poker Tour main event.
Going into the final day of the $10,000 buy-in tournament, Mortensen was the chip leader at the six man final table and had high hopes of picking up a record fourth WPT title.
However, Mortensen’s lead had evaporated after just three hands when a middle-stacked Gregory Brooks doubled up holding pocket aces to Vivek Rajkumar’s pocket queens.
Carlos Mortensen then got rather more value out of his pocket queens after US pro Darryll Fish shoved his Qs-Ts into the Spainyard’s wired pair. However, despite eliminating Darryll Fish in 6th place ($235,350), Mortensen’s chip count still remained below that of Brooks, which only continued to grow.
In the meantime, Vivek Rajkumar’s stack then rivalled that of Mortensen after the Indian born pro with $2.8 million of live tournament winnings sent Steve Gross to the rail in 5th ($304,000).
Not soon after a depleted Amir Lehavot holding K-Q on a J-9-6 flop decided, after some deliberation, to lay his tournament on the line and call Vivek Rajkumar’s all-in bet. Unfortunately for him Rajkumar held pocket queens and with no help on the turn and river Amir Lehavot was out in 4th ($421,680).
That was the 54th hand at the final table and at the ten minute break Gregory Brooks was in the lead with a 9.77 million stack, followed by Vivek Rajkumar with 6.49 million and Carlos Mortensen with 4.17 million.
However, on the 60th hand Gregory Brooks with two pair won a pot worth 2.3 million against Mortensen and the very next hand El Matador found himself all-in with his tournament hopes on the line.
Mortensen on the button raised his K-J and was called by both Rajkumar and Brooks with 6c-4c. The Jc-5c-3d flop was bound to bring a lot of action and after Brooks bet out, Mortensen re-raised and before long all the chips were at the centre of the table. Mortensen then managed to dodge a bullet with a 5d on the turn but unfortunately for him a 10c on the river made his opponent’s flush and just like that he was out in 3rd for a $640,680 pay-day.
Gregory Brooks then went on to win the WPT event for $1,654,120, while Vivek Rajkumar picked up $908,730 in 2nd spot.
With his latest cash at the WPT L.A. Poker Classic Final Table, Mortensen has now earnt $10,700,746 from live events and currently sits at number 12 on poker’s ‘All Time Money List.’
Carlos Mortensen also received an extra bonus of a last-minute entry for the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship, which starts today.