Born in Ecuador, Juan Carlos Mortensen moved to Spain when he was 15-years old. After schooling was completed, he held jobs that ranged from leather goods manufacturing to bartending in a private club. One night, he noticed a group of club patrons playing Texas no-limit hold'em and joined in. Though he lost the first game, he continued to play in what was to become a regular poker game and won on a continual basis. He finally quit his bartending job and began playing poker full-time in local clubs and game rooms in Spain. His aggressive and risky style of play earned him a reputation that made it difficult to find opponents willing to engage in action with "El Matador."

Juan Carlos heard much about the poker games in the United States and made the trek to Atlantic City in the late 1990's with his then wife, Cecelia Reyes. With practically no English language skills, he found the transition to America difficult at first, and his bankroll took a hit. However, he soon adjusted, learned some English, and spent much time analyzing the games of opponents, then began to crush the cash games and make an impact on the tournament circuit around the U.S.

After winning some smaller tournaments in the L.A. Poker Classic and Bay 101 Shooting Stars series, Juan Carlos played in the 2001 World Series of Poker and won the $10,000 buy-in main event, taking home $1.5 million. His list of tournament wins and cashes began to accumulate and included a second WSOP bracelet in the 2003 $5000 no-limit hold'em event. His impact on World Poker Tour tournaments was just as impressive, especially his final table appearance at the Season 2 Borgata Poker Open where he finished fourth, then his exciting first place win of $1 million at the Season 3 Doyle Brunson North American Championship. A fixture at tournament tables and cash game parlors around the world, he continues to build his resume and add to his collection of cash and championship trophies.