Gus Hansen to Play More Tournaments in 2018
December 16, 2017 11:15 amGus Hansen reappeared on the poker scene this year after an extended absence from the tables, and it appears that the “Great Dane” has now set his sights on competing at some of the world’s biggest live tournaments in 2018.
Despite not cashing in at a live tournament since 2014, Hansen is still ranked number 2 on Denmark’s ‘All Time Money List, with $10,258,051 in winnings, just a little behind 2008 WSOP Main Event champ Peter Eastgate ($11,131,450), but a long way ahead of nearest contenders Frederik Jensen ($3,806,434) and Theo Jorgensen ($3,797,140).
The 43 year-old pro also has 1 WSOP bracelet and 3 WPT titles to his name, with his biggest score coming in 2008 after finishing runner-up to David Chiu at the $25,500 WPT World Championship for $1,714,800. Talking recently about his tournament ambitions going forwards, Hansen explained:
“I really have left the poker tournament scene during the last five years.. I have to re-discover and re-invent things. Now that I’ve played the One Drop there and a little poker here the last couple months, I’m getting into a rhythm. I’m probably going to play more poker next year. There’s a chance you’ll see me in a couple more tournaments.”
Hansen disappeared from the poker limelight in 2014/15 after losing $20.74 million at online poker room Full Tilt, and also experiencing an extended downswing at the live tables. According to Hansen, the 2008 poker book he wrote called “Every Hand Revealed” contributed to his frustrations, as even the weakest players would subsequently believe he was bluffing more often in tournaments and apply pressure to him. As he explain:
“What really changed a lot was after my book came out, it seemed like people just never believed I had a hand, in their mind.”
Going forward, the Danish pro said he intend to do a better job adjusting to his opponent’s perception of him as a loose, aggressive player. Furthermore, he says that he may be credited with actually having a hand now that he has been absent from the tables for some time.
Nevertheless, Hansen still acknowledges that the overall standard of play has risen across the board, with the good players now much better, and even more importantly the bad players far and fewer between.