Danish poker pro Gus Hansen, aka The Great Dane, is one of the most recognizable professionals of our time. He has 1 WSOP bracelet, 2 WPT titles and around $10 million in live tournament winnings under his belt. But to his discredit, he may be more famous for having lost over $20 million playing online poker at Full Tilt. Perhaps that has something to do with his latest decision to abstain from Hold’em games, converting his attention, and millions, to another old card gaming favorite.
Hansen appeared at the Copenhagen Bridge Invitational (CBI) tournament that took place at the Radisson Blu Scandinavian Hotel over the weekend. But he wasn’t just there in hopes of recapturing the title. Gus Hansen was also attending the event to promote a new technological innovation in which he has invested a few million dollars, known as Bridge + Dealer.
The newly invented machine is said to be able to solve current logistical issues in the way bridge tournaments are run, and is capable of recording the action as it occurs. The technology made its debut appearance at this year’s CBI tournament series, running from Thursday, Jan 15, through Sunday, Jan 18.
Back in 2010, Gus Hansen partnered with professional bridge player Tom Hanlon, where the two went on to win the Copenhagen Bride Invitational in its debut year. The Great Dane has been traversing the global bridge circuit ever since, playing in various tournaments around the world. Hansen and Hanlon teamed up once again this year for the CBI Pro/Am, but success was not on the menu this time around.
In 2013, Hansen had the honor of partnering with one of the most passionate bridge playing celebrities in the world; the Protector of the Danish Bridge Federation, His Royal Highness, Prince Henrik, Consort of Denmark and husband of Queen Margrethe II.
Up until October of last year, Gustav Hansen could almost always be found at the online poker tables of Full Tilt. Hansen and Swedish poker pro Viktor “Isildur1” Blom were staples of the online poker operation, combining as an epic sponsored duo known as “The Professionals”. But in October, Full Tilt announced that The Professionals were to be absolved, essentially firing both Hansen and Blom from their roles as ambassadors of the Amaya-owned poker site.
Since then, Hansen’s activity at Full Tilt has dropped to near nothing, at least in a visible sense. No longer sponsored by the online poker room, he is not obligated to play under a recognizable nickname. However, he did make a few brief appearances under his usual ‘Gus Hansen’ moniker in December that, like most before it, ended in a loss of 6-figures.
Gustav hasn’t had the best luck on the virtual felt in the last five years. In early 2009, he was at an all-time high of +$2.27 million, but according to the stats tracking results of HighStakesDB, he has since dropped to a staggering -$20,737,007 at Full Tilt. Perhaps switching gears from online poker to bridge and relative technological investments will be just what the ‘bankroll doctor’ ordered for The Great Dane.