Born in 1974 in Denmark, Gus Hansen is a world-famous Danish poker pro who has been active in sports since his childhood. As he claimed, Hansen was particularly skilled at tennis, even winning several local tournaments as a youth tennis champion.
Before entering the world of poker, Gus Hansen, currently residing in Monaco, made a name for himself in the popular online game Backgammon. There are several videos on YouTube showing Hansen competing in Backgammon tournaments.
In 1997, Hansen attended UC Santa Cruz as an exchange student. To pass the time, he started going to the Ocean View Card Room in Santa Cruz, where he eventually began playing poker. From that day on, Hansen never looked back and has since taken the poker world by storm.
Gus Hansen Poker Career Highlights and Earnings
Hansen began his live poker career in 2002 with an incredible start. In his first tournament, he struck gold by winning the prestigious World Poker Tour (WPT) $10,000 NLH Championship Event, earning his first WPT title and an impressive $556,460.
In 2003, Hansen secured his second WPT title by winning the WPT LAPC $10k NLH Championship for another six-figure score of $532,490, forever solidifying his place in the poker world.
The following year, Gus Hansen won the WPT PCA $7,500 NLH Event for $455,780, earning his third WPT title. That same year, he participated in the WPT World Championship, finishing in 150th place and earning $15,000. In 2005, Hansen cashed in his first seven-figure score of $1 million after winning the Poker Superstars Invitational $400,000 buy-in Tournament.
In 2007, he added another title to his resume by winning the Aussie Millions $10,500 Main Event, taking home $1,192,919. The following year, Hansen came close to winning the WPT Championship but had to settle for a runner-up finish, banking another seven-figure score of $1,714,800.
2010 was a memorable year for him as he went on to win three prestigious live titles that year, including the 2010 World Series of Poker Europe High Roller Heads-Up event to score his bracelet win and claim $ 444,925 in top prize money. His biggest win of 2010 was in the FullTiltPoker.com Poker Million IX final where he earned over $1 million in prize money.
After winning the FullTiltPoker Million IX for $1 million, Hansen stepped away from live poker tournaments. He briefly reappeared in the 2012 Aussie Millions $250k Challenge, finishing in 3rd place and earning $823,579. Afterward, he again disappeared from the high-stakes tournament scene.
However, in 2024, Gus Hansen made a comeback by participating in the Winamax Marrakech Main Event, where he finished 139th, earning $1,702. Hansen also made an appearance at this year’s WSOP, reaching the final table in Event #88: $10k Mixed Game Championship, finishing 8th and winning $39,167.
World Series of Poker
In addition to his three WPT titles, Gus Hansen has also secured a WSOP bracelet. In 2010, Hansen won his first World Series of Poker bracelet at the WSOP Europe £10,350 High Roller Heads-up event, earning $444,925. He nearly claimed his second bracelet in 2024 at the WSOP Event #88: $10k Mixed Game Championship, but he finished in 8th place.
Why Did Gus Hansen Leave Live Poker Tournaments?
As reported by HighstakesDB, Hansen lost nearly $20 million on FullTiltPoker by 2015, making him one of the biggest loss leaders in poker. One reason for these losses was his aggressive play style, which involved relying on pot odds and playing a wide range of hands — the same approach that earned him his WPT titles, WSOP bracelet, and Aussie Millions title.
After his major losses, Hansen stepped away from tournaments and pursued a regular 9-to-5 job. However, he continued grinding in live cash games, playing high-stakes games at Bellagio’s Bobby’s Room, which is renowned for its cash game action.
Gus Hansen’s Net Worth
Despite his significant losses, Hansen managed to build a net worth of over $15 million from his poker career. He continues to play both cash games and tournaments, as well as online poker. With his return to tournament poker this year, the three-time World Poker Tour champion Gus Hansen also joined the Winamax Team as an ambassador.
In the late 2000s, Hansen was part of the FullTiltPoker Ambassador team and rejoined FullTiltPoker under PokerStars management following the Black Friday scandal.
Where Is Gus Hansen Now?
Gus Hansen has returned to the tournament scene and, as part of Winamax’s Ambassador team, he now travels the world, participating in Winamax tournaments. He recently competed in the Winamax Bratislava Open’s Mixed Game tournament but did not make it into the money.
Despite his losses, it’s undeniable that Gus Hansen will always be a poker legend, known for his aggressive play style and victories in prominent tournaments.
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