Gus Hansen

A Great Dane is a dog that is known for its large, statuesque appearance. Its long, narrow head is complimented by dark, deep-set eyes and short, thick hair. It has a broad chest and strong, muscular limbs. And though its build is a bit intimidating, it is balanced by an extremely smart, gentle personality.

Gus Hansen is frequently referred to as the Great Dane. There are striking similarities between the description just given and the champion poker player, which gives credence to his nickname. Besides that, he is a great player, and he is Danish.

No matter the moniker, Gus is known around the world for his intellect, his remarkable abilities in the games of backgammon and poker, and his unique personality. He is feared at the games he has mastered but adored by those who meet him away from the table. The explanations for this dichotomy can be found in his personal history.

Gustav Hansen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1973. He grew up learning to play games that would maximize his intellect, provide a challenge and improve his skills. He craved competition and mastered the game of backgammon as a teenager, becoming a very young world-class player.

In 1993, Gus traveled to America to experience more of the world and to make money playing backgammon, as cash games in Denmark were too few and far between for his liking. After spending his childhood listening and memorizing the lyrics to American rock music, he had no trouble mastering the English language and perfecting much of his pronunciation as just another of his many talents.

Gus settled temporarily in Santa Cruz, California and began to frequent the card rooms. Finding live poker games and a satisfying competitive spirit among the players, he quickly took to the game. He tried various styles of play and discovered that a somewhat erratic method worked best for him, catching his opponents off guard and winning more often than not. His unpredictable approach and bluffing skills left a lasting impression on those with whom he played, and over betting with a weak hand came to be known around town as pulling a 'Gus.'

When duty called in 1995, Gus moved back to Denmark. Men in their early twenties were required to sign up for possibly military service, which he did. As he was picked in the traditional lottery shortly thereafter, he chose to be a civil servant and served his country in that capacity. And upon completion of his duties, he moved back to America, this time to New York, where he found high-dollar backgammon and gin games.

Making an adequate living for himself in games of skill, Gus felt confident of his calling to a gaming career. Though he excelled at a number of games, poker was one that held some intrigue for him, especially with its popularity growing so rapidly in the late 1990's. Cash games were easy to find, and tournaments began to look appealing.

Gus made the move to tournament play in 2002 by entering the Five-Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio. It was the beginning of a new day in poker as the World Poker Tour made its debut, and it was a new challenge for an already seasoned poker player. Playing against 146 opponents was an experiment that paid off when he won the event. He captured the first WPT title, over $550,000 in prize money, and worldwide attention on the televised tournament.

The world was only seeing the beginning of Gus' talent. He went on to win the L.A. Poker Classic shortly thereafter and soon became a fan favorite. Keeping up with the momentum, he entered several WPT tournaments in its second season, placing third in the Five-Diamond World Poker Classic that he won the prior year and taking third in the post-season Battle of Champions. Not walking away without a title during that season, he won the Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure as well as the Bad Boys of Poker special event.

Though Gus only made the final table of one WPT tournament in the third season, he remains one of the all-time biggest money winners in the history of the World Poker Tour. In the meantime, he has been no stranger to the biggest cash games in the world, traveling to compete in Las Vegas, Monte Carlo, and various other destinations running high stakes games.

With a few television appearances and a growing reputation as one of the greatest poker players in the world, Gus has not been able to escape the spotlight. While appearing a bit nonchalant about the fame, his smile grows when speaking of the numerous women who scramble to meet and flirt with him. Even after making the 2004 People Magazine '50 Sexiest People' list, he remains modest about the attention.

For Gus, experiencing the world of poker has been one of the greatest challenges of his life. He loves using his mind to overwhelm opponents at the table and make a living playing a game for which he has such a passion.

Even in the midst of all of his successes, Gus knows that some doubt his abilities and claim that he is simply lucky. He is now writing a book to reveal some of his poker secrets and techniques, which will prove beyond any doubt that he knows what he's doing at the poker table. And to all of those skeptics who insist on calling him lucky, he'd rather just be called Gus.