J. C. Alvarado Young Poker Star Feb 02, 2009

There are many colourful poker personalities, but Juan Carlos Alvarado is particularly bright. This friendly young poker player was first noticed at the L. A. Poker Classic Main Event.

His trademark soccer jerseys were visible for a large part of the World Poker Tour – Alvarado came in fifteenth in this tournament. At the time, Juan Carlos Alvarado was just twenty one years old, and had been already playing online for quite a while. The World Poker Tour was one of Alvarado's earliest forays into live poker tournament play.

Originally a native of Mexico City, Juan Carlos Alvarado was born there on May 6, 1985. His family moved to the U.S. when he was five and they lived in McAllen, Texas from then on. Alvarado went to college in Los Angeles. At the time, he wanted to play soccer professionally, but fate took a hand, and he developed an interest in poker when he was about nineteen years old. Juan Carlos studied the game with enthusiasm, improving his strategy and enhancing his skill at the game. Alvarado kept plugging away at limit hold 'Em ring games till he made it to first place in a PokerStars tournament, winning himself $6000.

Winning a tournament was Juan Carlos Alvarado's inspiration to become a poker player at a professional level. He decided to drop out of college and take poker up seriously. Although he rapidly used up his bankroll, his mother bailed him out, giving Juan Carlos a hand by lending him thousands of dollars. Maybe his mom's help was lucky for Juan Carlos Alvarado; because he went on to win three tournaments in rapid succession.

At 21, Alvarado entered the 2006 WSOP, ending up in sixth place in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em tournament and winning $28,665. He also earned rewards at the Bellagio Cup II. He made it to second place in a World Poker tournament and won $366,798 there. Alvarado came in ninth in the$2,500 No-Limit Hold'em tournament at the Bellagio Five-Star Classic and eighth in the WPT Mandalay Bay Poker Challenge. Alvarado has also done well in the Full Tilt $1K Monday, the PokerStars Sunday Million, the WCOOP Main Event, the 2008 WSOP and the $5,000 WSOP-Circuit stop at Caesar's Palace. He was the Team Mexico captain in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

Juan Carlos Alvarodo's flamboyant play and cheerful good humour have attracted many fans, who find his game immensely enjoyable. In addition to his first love, poker, Juan Carlos Alvarado loves soccer and video games. He currently lives in Las Vegas.