Gus Hansen dressed to impress(credit:
ralphunden)
Charismatic Dane Gus Hansen has always enjoyed a gamble. The adrenaline seeking Full Tilt pro doesn’t seem to be perturbed by the sick swings in the online, nosebleed stakes or massive losses on sports betting. His unflappable personality and hyper-aggressive style have charmed fellow poker pros and enthusiasts alike.
Recent reports of his sports betting exploits have served to shock even some of the most die-hard Hansen fans. Although the ‘Great Dane’, a keen tennis player in his youth, has confessed to a passion for sports betting and backgammon before, the €1.4 million Hansen wagered on Rafael Nadal to win the French Open seems a little excessive. The tournament may have concluded some time ago, but reports have only emerged recently of Hansen’s monster bet. With a partly injured Nadal crashing out to Robin Soderling, Gus waved goodbye to the €1.4 million. Whether the loss put a significant dent in Hansen’s bankroll remains to be seen – but he was conspicuous in his absence from most of the WSOP – returning only for the $50K H.O.R.S.E. If you wish to delve deeper into the life of Gus, be sure to check out http://www.gushansentv.com/ , where a celebrity boxing match involving Hansen and a close friend was recently screened.
Thang Luu gave a new meaning to the term ‘dead hand’ as he assaulted a dealer in a cash game at the Rio Casino, Vegas. Reportedly intoxicated, and angry at the dealer moving to muck his face up cards, Luu lashed out and punched the dealer’s hand, fracturing a bone in his finger. Although exact details of the event remain sketchy, Luu, who has enjoyed moderate tournament success including victory at this year’s $1500 Omaha Hi/Lo, was seen being escorted from the casino by police. He will no doubt be charged with assault, and slapped with a lifetime ban from Harrah’s. Player behaviour at the green felt has been severely questioned of late. Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliot had to be reprimanded for his foul mouthed tirade towards a dealer in a recent Party Poker Open heat, where as Freddy Deeb claimed he would ‘f*ck’ fellow player Tony G ‘up’ and ‘spit’ on him as the $50K H.OR.S.E tournament drew to a close.
Meanwhile the crazy nature of Full Tilt’s biggest online games is being realised, as NL Hold’em pro Sami ‘Lars Luzak’ Kelopuro’s financial status has been placed under intense scrutiny across poker forums. The young Finn, who mixes it up with the likes of Patrik Antonius, Tom Dwan and Ziigmund, has recorded a $3 million loss this year, according to the High Stakes Database. Whether this is down to the sick variance of these stakes, or Kelopuro’s failure to adapt the Omaha and mixed games he now participates in, remains to be seen.