Gus Hansen The Great Dane of Poker
It seems like a lifetime ago, but in reality it's been less than four years since Season 1 of the World Poker Tour showed viewers a different kind of player. He was reckless, volatile and yet, charming. He took the tour by storm, winning three of the major events as well as an invitational. His name was Gus Hansen, and he is still taking on the best and playing with their minds and bankrolls with his aggressive style and his ability to play any hand, any time.
"The Great Dane" was TV poker's first superstar, and who can forget the fearless way he played and won with seemingly junk hands, while the announcers did double-takes? Who can forget his shaved head, flexing biceps and wave to a girl in the crowd as he was handed a trophy and mountain of cash so big it blew viewers away?
His bluffs and traps and refusal to play by the book captured the imagination of young players around the world, who suddenly realized that with chips anything was possible and that no-limit poker wasn't about the cards, it was about creativity, artistry and vision.
Born in Denmark in 1974, Gus Grew up in a small town with his parents and older sister. "What I remember most from my childhood is that I was always playing something, not cards really, but I was always playing soccer or tennis. Always doing sports after school, we were always playing soccer, or pingpong. You name it, we played it.
Backgammon Whiz
Extremely competitive, Gus began playing backgammon at a young age after his soccer and tennis matches. After graduating high school, Gus focused on playing backgammon and traveled to tournaments all over Europe.
In 1993 Gus packed up and moved to the United States, where he found himself staying with friends in Santa Cruz, California, and still playing backgammon. A friend felt that he would like poker and would be good at it, so she took him to the local cardroom.
Gus took that experience and jumped straight into the game. He moved up rather quickly and soon found himself involved in one of the biggest games in the world. Played mostly at the Bellagio, or wherever the tournaments take the players, the "Big Game" is one of the highest-stakes cash games in the world. The best players in the world are involved in this game, including Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein, Chip Reese and Jennifer Harman.
Why did he jump into this incredibly tough game so quickly? He answers nonchalantly: "I like to test myself, which I guess goes with the competitive nature. It seemed like a reasonable thing to do, although it was probably premature. Sometimes I gambled too high compared to what my bankroll was, I have definitely done that. But also, when you compete against someone of the toughest players, it helps you."
Gus plays in the game to this day, as well as TV's high-stakes cash game and High Stakes Poker.