He has represented Europe eight times in the annual Mosconi Cup competition between 1994 and 2004, and was on the winning side in 1995 and 2002. With 44 German national medals and 16 German Pool Championships, Ortmann is one of the most successful German pool players of all time. In 1996, he was the first cue sports player to receive the Silbernes Lorbeerblatt, the highest sporting award given in Germany. In 2014, Ortmann was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame.
Career
Early career
Ortmann was born and raised in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.[2] At age six he began playing on a pool table in the basement of his parents' restaurant.[2][3] Ortmann won his first championship in 1985 at age 17 (the 8-Ball Junior European championships), defeating Sweden's Per Anda in the final. The following year he won his first German national championship (the straight pool championship), after meeting Thomas Engert in the final.[4][5] Ortmann studied in Munich to become an electronics technician, and at age 20 he became the manager of a billiard centre with 80 pool and billiard tables.[2][3]
He entered his first Euro Tour event in 1993, finishing second at that year's German Open and winning the following events in Austria and Hungary. Ortmann won his second BCA U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship later that year.[9] He won five Euro Tour events the following year (four in a row), and finished second twice. During the nine-event season, Ortmann reached the finals seven times.[10] He won his first world championship (the 1995 WPA World Nine-ball Championship), playing the American Dallas West in the final.[11][12]
Ortmann reached the quarter-finals of the 2008 world straight pool championship (which he won the previous year) before losing to Jasmin Ouschan 133–200. He progressed to the semifinals the following year, defeating Earl Herring and Jonni Fulcher before losing to Mika Immonen.[23] Ortmann won his third world championship in 2010, defeating Immonen in the straight-pool final. Since the straight-pool tournament (also known as the World Tournament) is no longer sanctioned by the WPA, Ortmann remains the last official world straight-pool champion.[24] He is the second player to win three world championships, after Earl Strickland (who won the nine-ball championship in 1990, 1991 and 2002).[24]
His Euro Tour wins include the 2009 Netherlands Open. This victory, Ortmann's 14th on the tour, placed him second on the all-time list of winners behind Ralf Souquet (23).[29] He has reached the semifinals of a tour event 35 times, with eight second-place finishes.[29] In 2014, Ortmann was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame with promoter and historian Charles Ursitti.[6][30][31] He is a three-time European player of the year, receiving the award in 1990, 1993, and 1996.[6][32]
Team events
Ortmann first represented Europe at the Mosconi Cup in the first competition in 1994 with the United States winning 16–12.[33] The following year, Ortmann competed in the Continent's first win,[34] and Ortmann was also on the winning side in 2002.[34] The 2002 victory with Ortmann was described by six-time snooker world champion Steve Davis as "one of the best moments of my career".[35] Ortmann competed in the team on eight occasions (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004), and was the non-playing captain in 2003.[36] Ortmann's eight appearances is the fifth most of any European player.[37]