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 semi-finals the following year, defeating Earl Herring and Jonni Fulcher before losing to Mika Immonen. 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. He is the second player to win three world championships, after Earl Strickland (who won the nine-ball championship in 1990, 1991 and 2002).