Team PokeStars Pro JC Alvarado

JC Alvarado

Juan Carlos (JC for short) Alvarado is the epitome of the modern professional poker player. Young, educated and articulate, JC was a regular on the Californian poker scene before he turned pro and moved to Las Vegas in 2007. In 2009 he returned to his roots and moved back to Mexico City, to take up his role as a Team PokerStars Pro and ambassador for Latin American poker.

JC was born in Mexico, but moved to Texas with his mother when he was 5 years old. After finishing high school he became a cinematography student in Los Angeles before being bitten by the poker bug. It was Greg Raymer’s 2004 World Series of Poker* victory that inspired him to focus on building a bankroll and become a pro player. Success online at PokerStars soon followed, and JC took the step into the live arena.

Adjusting to the slower rhythms of live tournament poker was a challenge, but the buzz of live poker was enough to keep JC’s interest and he soon found plenty of success. He ran good at the 2006 WSOP* with a sixth place for $28,665 in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event, followed by a breakthrough year in 2007. First up was a second place at an LA Poker Classic preliminary event, good for $108,275, and then a 15th place finish in the WPT Main Event for $72,140. A month later came JC’s big score, when he placed second at the World Poker Challenge WPT Event in Reno for $366,798 - an incredible result in a tough televised event. But the biggest cash of JC’s career so far came online, when he won the medium-level Main Event in the 2009 PokerStars SCOOP, taking home $502,086.

A proud Mexican, JC was honored to lead Team Mexico at the World Cup of Poker V, held at the 2009 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas. There he captained a team of PokerStars players to eighth place finish in what was a hotly contested event. He is also a regular on the Latin American Poker Tour, and enjoys promoting the game in the region.

Like most Latin Americans, soccer is one of JC’s big passions, and he is still interested in cinematography and all things movie related. He also works hard on his poker, using any extra time he can find to improve his skills and find that first big tournament win - surely only be a matter of time away. JC is a member of Team PokerStars Pro and plays online at PokerStars as ‘JC Alvarado’.

Career Highlights

Event	Date	Position	Prize
2006 WSOP $1,500 No Limit Hold’em	August 2006	6th	$28,665
2007 L.A. Poker Classic $2,500 No Limit Hold’em	February 2007	2nd	$108,275
WPT L.A. Poker Classic $9,900 No Limit Hold'em	February 2007	15th	$72,140
WPT World Poker Challenge $5,000 No Limit Hold’em	March 2007	2nd	$366,798
WPT Mandalay Bay $9,700 No Limit Hold’em	May 2007	8th	$43,720
2008 WSOP $5,000 Limit/No Limit Hold’em	June 2008	28th	$10,922
PokerStars SCOOP $1,050 Main Event	April 2009	1st	$502,086