Poker’s Sexiest Man: Denmark’s Gus Hansen

by Murphy James

He bets when he has a good hand and he bets when he has a lousy hand. The only term he likes better than “raise,” is “re-raise.” And he only bluffs on days ending in –y.

Denmark’s Gus Hansen, voted one of the 50 sexiest men alive in 2004 by People Magazine, has played -- and won -- with so many terrible hands (“rags”) that winning with such a bad hand is now known in poker parlance as “having a Gus.”

Gustav Hansen is a native of Copenhagen. He journeyed to the University of California, Santa Cruz as an exchange student, took a break for military service back in Denmark, then returned to Santa Cruz. Already an accomplished and highly ranked backgammon player back home, he discovered the poker parlors of northern California and was hooked. His competitive spirit transferred over from backgammon to Texas Hold ‘em.

His aggressiveness at the table and hard stares through dark eyes intimidate even the most confident of players. Just when a top player thinks they caught Gus in a bluff -- and he’s been bluffing all evening -- he’s got the “nuts:” the unbeatable hand.

Gus has banked about two million dollars in tournament play, the games you see on TV. What you don’t see are the “cash games,” the private games held at poker palaces such as the Bellagio in Vegas, where the “high brush” game -- the highest stakes in Vegas -- are played in a private room, up a couple steps, at the back of the poker room where mere mortals can’t peek in to see how many of their favorite stars are playing or how much they are betting. Gus is often there, taking on the best in the business, for games where $50 - $100,000 can change hands in an instant. This is where the Big Dogs play!

Gus shrugs off People’s sexy man tag, even as he joined Jude Law, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon on the 2004 roster. “Doesn’t change my life,” he says.

Gus is in his early 30’s. He is single, free, and a flirt. There is no shortage of attractive young women who admire this short, skinny, shaved head, Dane. Guys, is there hope for us all? He values his freedom and says this is the time to gamble, hang out, and have fun. No obligations.

Following in the tradition of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Rock Walk of Fame, the World Poker Tour has created a Poker Walk of Fame. It was recently unveiled at the Commerce Casino in southern California .

The Walk is designed to recognize men and women who have played the game at its highest level and contributed to its evolution and popularity. The first three inductees were the legendary Doyle Brunson (the “Godfather of Poker”), actor James “Maverick” Garner, and the Great Dane of Poker, Mr. Hansen. Gus earned his way in as the first three-time winner of the highly popular, televised, World Poker Tour tournaments.

Gus divides his time between Europe (he stays in Monaco) and the United States (Vegas), selectively picking tournaments on both sides of the pond. Like most of the poker pros, he has affiliated with an online poker room, in this case Pokerchamps.com.

So, if you want to take on Gustav Hansen, the Great Dane, one of the sexiest men alive and one of the top poker pros in the world, log onto Pokerchamps.com and look for the screen name of GusHansen.

Then hang onto your chips.

This guy is tough!

© 2005 Murphy James

Murphy James is a freelance journalist specializing in the gaming industry. He has been published in men's magazines, gaming publications, business journals, and newspapers. His website is www.murphyjames.com.

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