Gus Hansen

Gus Hansen was born in 1974 just outside of Copenhagen, Demark. With a keen interest in all kinds of sports Hansen is a natural competitor – coming into the world of poker via the professional backgammon circuit in 1997. Fascinated with numbers at an early age, this grounding in backgammon has given Hansen an analytical mind to go with his characteristic wild and aggressive poker style.

Tournament Success

Though yet to achieve success in the World Series Of Poker, Gus Hansen has a formidable tournament record which includes numerous World Poker Tour wins and many other final table appearances. He also plays cash games at the very highest level, often being found in the ‘Big Game’ at the Bellagio with the cream of the worlds poker professionals.

Hansen’s World Series achievements have only included a single final table. In the 2006 Tournament Of Champions he exited in 10th place after losing a coin-flip with the very first final-table hand. He has cashed twice in the $10,000 No-Limit Holdem Main Event, in 150th place in 2004 and in 61st place in 2007.

WPT Hall of Fame

In 2004 Hansen was only the 3rd player to be inducted into the World Poker Tour Hall of Fame, the others being Doyle Brunson and James Garner. This followed his unique achievement of winning 3 World Poker Tour open events, each with a 1st prize of around half a million dollars. These were; the Five Diamond World Poker Classic in Las Vegas in 2002, the LA Poker Classic in 2003 and the Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure in 2004.

Gus Hansen’s successes in the world’s biggest live poker tournaments have continued to this day. Among his notable victories are a $1 million 1st place finish in the 2005 Poker Stars invitational and, in 2007, 1st place in the ‘Aussie Millions’ for a payday of AUD $1.5 million.

Cash Table Prowess

A regular player on the televised ‘High Stakes Poker’ show, Hansen took down a $575,000 pot in a single hand against fellow poker professional Daniel Negreanu, when he turned a 5 to complete quads against Negreanu’s full house.

Hansen’s cash game play has been noted as featuring some wild swings – along with sports betting and many ‘prop bets’ Hansen has been recorded as losing a million dollars in a single day. At the tables Gun Hansen’s playing style involves raising with any two cards. He is able to use his highly tuned post-flop and people reading skills to avoid difficult situations. At the same time he keeps opponents under relentless pressure with bets and raises.

Hansen also plays poker online where he is part of the Full Tilt Poker team of pros. He can be found at the highest stakes playing Pot-Limit Omaha and No-Limit Holdem against the world’s best.

Hansen is currently located in Monaco and, away from the tables, enjoys the bachelor lifestyle. He retains his interest in sports, working out in the gym and also playing soccer and golf.  

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