'I've Been an Idiot': Gus Hansen Addresses His Online Poker Struggles
Gus Hansen was one of the most popular poker pros in the 2000s, and one of the top tournament players in the world at the time. But he also infamously posted eight-figure online poker losses during the same era.
The "Great Dane," in a recent Run it Once Q & A livestream on YouTube, opened up about his online poker struggles during the poker boom. He was asked to give his thoughts on his online poker experience, and his response was quite candid.
"There's a simple answer and, basically, if you look throughout the history, pretty much, I think it's safe to say I've been an idiot," a brutally honest Hansen answered.
Danish Poker Legend Struggles at No-Limit Hold'em?
Hansen, a former Full Tilt Poker pro, continued to say he put himself in "unwinnable situations" online by competing in the biggest games against the best players in the world. The Danish poker legend, 15 years ago, would often battle against superstars such as Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey, and Viktor "Isildur" Blom. He gave his younger self an honest assessment and said he's matured as a player since that era.
Hansen explained that during the 2000s he wasn't afraid to battle anyone in any game. But as he matured, he began focusing more on mixed games where he feels he has an edge, as opposed to no-limit hold'em, which he admits isn't his strength.
"I'm not dying to play a high roller no-limit hold'em tournament, which I might have done in 2008 and nine and 10 and 12, because, yeah, I can just beat them all," Hansen said. "But, no, I can't. I'm not gonna do well in a 50k buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament with the Foxens and the Adrian Mateos and the whatever they are even called. I'm just not. I'd like play mixed games with all these guys every day for the next five years, because I don't think they're gonna do too well. But in that game, they're obviously better than me."
Hansen had his online poker struggles, but he also won big in tournaments, starting in his late 20's in 2002 when he became the first-ever World Poker Tour (WPT) champion after taking down the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic at Bellagio in Las Vegas for $556,460. He defeated a future Poker Hall of Famer, John Juanda, heads-up for the title.
Is Poker Still as Popular?
The 52-year-old poker player discussed numerous other poker-related topics in the Q & A, including the game's popularity comapred to when he grinded the Full Tilt streets and appeared on televised poker shows such as Poker After Dark and High Stakes Poker. He said he thinks there are more poker players now, but poker "has lost it's news value."
"Back in the day it was 12 tournaments a year, so it was easier to follow. Now, there's 570,000 f*****g tournaments a year, so it's impossible to dissect who is the best. Is it Daniel Negreanu? Is it Adrian Mateos? Is it still Phil Ivey? Is it Galfond? Whatever, people have their opinion. But it's impossible to see through all the junk."
Hansen has $10.5 million in The Hendon Mob live tournament cashes, although only about $300,000 since 2013. He is a three-time WPT champion and a 2010 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) bracelet winner.
