In completing one of the greatest final table comebacks ever seen, to secure the biggest first prize in WPT history, Mortensen also became the first poker player ever to have won the WSOP main-event and the WPT Championship.

The win, Mortensen’s second in the WPT, was worth $3.9 million, and put him fourth on the all-time money winner’s list with total earnings of over $8 million, behind only Jamie Gold, Joe Hachem and Daniel Negreanu.

But it was the manner of the 2001 WSOP champions win that will be remembered above all else. Mortensen began the final table in second place, but with only half the number of chips as Paul Lee, who began with nearly $12 million.

But what Mortensen lacked in firepower he made up for in experience and sheer tactical brilliance. The man nicknamed El Matador seized control of the table right from the off, playing with relentless aggression to put his more passive opponents under constant pressure.

Within no time Mortensen had bridged the huge gap between him and Paul Lee, and even assumed the chip lead before disaster struck. Holding A-Q Mortensen moved all-in on a Q-J-9 flop only for Kirk Morrison to call with two jacks in the hole. The set of jacks held up and left Mortensen crippled with just $1.15 million compared to Morrison’s $16 million.

When Morrison then knocked out Guy Laliberte in fourth place the destination of the title seemed a foregone conclusion. But if that was the case no-one told Mortensen, who battled back from his pitiful chipstack to put himself right back in contention, and after he crippled Paul Lee he made the heads-up stage against Kirk Morrison trailing by only $14 million to $19 million. Game on.

Not for long however, as a great call by Kirk Morrison left Mortensen reeling with $4.35 million to Morrison’s $28 million. Game over? Not a chance.

With his back against the wall Mortensen showed why he is one of the world’s most feared heads-up tournament players, seizing the initiative before doubling up twice in quick succession to take back the chip lead. He then found himself one card away from winning the championship when he got Kirk Morrison to put all his chips in with A-T on a board showing A-Q-6-3. Mortensen flipped up Q-6 for two pair, but a ten on the river gave Morrison a better two pair and suddenly the Spaniard was back down to $7 million in chips.

Nevermind. Carlos simply turned on the style once more, and somehow managed to claw back the chip lead again, and even found himself one card away from winning the championship for a second time. Well guess what happened? The same card, the ten of diamonds, popped out on the river once more to complete Morrison’s flush and snatch the initiative away from Mortensen for the umpteenth time. Another double-up followed and the extraordinary rollercoaster continued, with Morrison now in the chip lead.

If Mortensen was going to win this he was going to have to come back from the brink of elimination for a fourth time! The stage was set for one of the greatest tournament wins ever seen. Mortensen stepped up to the plate.

Despite the numerous set backs Mortensen never deviated from his aggressive gameplan, and it was for this reason that he finally won the title. Morrison simply couldn’t live with the relentless pressure being exerted on him on every hand; the only way he was going to win this, you could almost hear him reasoning, was by making a stand and winning a big all-in pot. It was probably sound logic on his part, and when he finally got it all-in he was in fact marginally ahead with A-4o versus Mortensen’s Kh-Jh. But it was a vulnerable lead, and despite a four on the flop, a jack on the turn was enough to seal an epic victory for Juan Carlos Mortensen, one that assures El Matador’s place in history.

The payouts for the final table were as follows:

Juan Carlos Mortensen - $3,970,415
Kirk Morrison - $2,011,135
Paul Lee - $1,082,920
Guy Laliberte - $696,220
Tim Phan - $464,110
Mike Wattel - $309,405