Gus Hansen Opens Up About His Future Plans

Danish pro Gus Hansen was one of the most successful players on the poker circuit during the poker boom era, but in recent times his subsequent performances have failed to keep pace with changing requirements of the modern game. After losing $20,737,007 on Full Tilt the “Great Dane” consequently stopped playing online cash games back in December 2015 , and despite winning $10,258,052 from live tournaments Hansen also has not cashed in at a live event since March 2014.
That is why a recent appearance by the 42 year-old pro on Good Morning Denmark was of great interest to the poker world, and some of the many poker fans who once regularly followed his action. Always known as a charitable man, Hansen was on the show as part of a Red Cross campaign in which celebrities were asked to donate the clothes off their backs to raise mony for the needy. Amongst the items Hansen subsequently donated was an old Full Tilt Poker shirt he owned from his time spent as a sponsored pro for the site.
The video segment that introduced Hansen had the following tagline: “Millions of dollars, insane bets and wild lifestyle, now poker star Gus Hansen home to quiet Denmark [to] raise a family.” During the show the Danish poker star indicated that he was no longer competing at high stakes cash games, and that he was now considering a move from his home in Monaco back to his native Denmark, possibly in order to raise a family.
At the height of his poker fame, Hansen was one of the most exciting poker pros to watch with his loose aggressive style of play an instant attraction for poker fans. When his results started to head south, however, Hansen blamed poor table selection and tilt as contributing to his bad results. In the end, though, Hansen seemed to acknowledge that he may have failed to keep pace with developments in the game, and as he later explained:
“Maybe I’m outdated. I am kind of questioning myself. I think every competitive player has to question himself at some point and ask ‘has the game surpassed me? Am I rusty? Am I not good enough in this game anymore?’ I’m asking myself questions and that keeps me up at night. Especially when I go on a big losing streak as I am.”