Full Tilt Poker Pro Carlos Mortensen Wins WPT Hollywood Poker Open

DUBLIN, Ireland, March 26 /CNW/ - Full Tilt Poker pro Carlos Mortensen made poker history on Wednesday by capturing his third World Poker Tour title for a $393,820 payday. This victory places Mortensen at the top of the WPT All Time Money List and ties him with Team Full Tilt's Gus Hansen for most all-time WPT wins.

One of the new stops on the WPT Season VIII schedule, the Hollywood Poker Open, attracted a field of 144 players to the Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The tournament played out for five days as a mix of poker professionals and amateurs battled it out for the $1.3 million prize pool.

Mortensen sailed through the opening days of the tournament and entered the final table as chip leader. Although in a prime position to take down the tournament, he faced a tough line up which included veteran pro Chris Bell, who has made three WPT final tables. By the time the table was reduced to just three contenders, each player was on an equal footing with around 60 big blinds apiece.

Mortensen dropped to the short stack, before battling his way up to take the lead again as he entered heads-up play with Mike Mustafa. In the final hand, Mortensen hit a king-high flush, capturing his third WPT win for over $390K. This pushed his WPT all-time earnings to $5,754,308, making him the highest earning WPT player to date as well as securing his spot next to Hansen for most all-time WPT wins.

This is not the first time that Mortensen has made poker history; in 2007, he became the first ever player to win both a WSOP Main Event and a World Poker Tour Championship. He took down the WSOP Main Event for $1,500,000 in 2001, and in 2007, took home over $3.9 million for his WPT World Championship win. In addition, Mortensen is one of only three players to win a prize of $1 million or more in three separate tournaments.

For more information on Carlos Mortensen, visit http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/carlos-mortensen.

About Full Tilt Poker

Full Tilt Poker(TM) is the host of a worldwide virtual poker cardroom service. It is not in the business of betting or wagering and does not participate in the games as a player. It merely provides a service to those who wish to test their skills against others for fun, prizes or money. It is duly regulated and licensed by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. With innovative graphics, superior customer service and a safe, secure interface, the software is geared to enhance and personalize the online poker experience. Although virtual poker is legal where the games are hosted and played, it may not be legal where individual players are located. Players at all skill levels may download the software at http://www.fulltiltpoker.com but it is their responsibility to determine if participating in the games is permitted under the laws of the jurisdiction where they are located.

For further information: Michele Clayborne, (on behalf of Team Full Tilt), Tel: [phone]