Gus Hansen: The Rise and Fall of a Poker Legend

Gus Hansen, known as 'The Great Dane,' was a prominent figure in the poker world during the late 2000s. His bold, loose, and aggressive playing style made him a formidable opponent. Hansen's first significant win came in 2002 when he won the $10,000 buy-in Five Diamond World Poker Classic, taking home $556,460. He continued his winning streak in 2003 by winning the L. A Poker Classic tournament for $530,000 and the PCA (Poker Caribbean Adventure) in 2004, earning $445,000.

In 2005, Hansen secured a spot in the Poker Superstars Invitational tournament with a $400,000 buy-in, where he faced top players like Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu. Hansen emerged victorious, taking home $1,000,000. His first WSOP bracelet came in 2010 when he won the High Rollers Heads-up event in London, earning £288,409.

Despite his early successes, Hansen's poker career took a downturn due to significant online losses. By March 2015, his losses had surpassed $21,000,000, with over $21,700,000 lost on Full Tilt Poker since 2007. Hansen lost $20,181,164 after playing 1,564,785 hands over 23,406 sessions. Unable to compete with top online poker pros, Hansen had to take a regular job as an accountant to make ends meet.