LAS VEGAS — Carlos Mortensen knows when to hold ’em. The 29-year-old who moved to the United States from Spain a few years ago to play poker professionally won the World Series of Poker tournament Friday night at Binion’s Horseshoe — and a $1.5 million jackpot.
When the dealer turned over the final card in the no-limit Texas hold-em event, the nine of diamonds gave Mortensen a straight, beating Dewey Tomko’s two pair.
Mortensen kissed his wife and raised his arms in joy as the standing-room-only crowd of 600 roared.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Mortensen, who has played professionally for four years.
In Texas hold-em, each player receives two cards. All players share five community cards. Each player uses any combination of two cards and the five community cards to form the best five-card poker hand.
Tomko won $1.1 million for second place.
A record 613 players willing to pay the $10,000 entry fee entered the tournament this year.
