Poker pro Gus Hansen, or “The Great Dane”, as he has been nicknamed by his poker fans, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1974, as Gustav Hansen. He was an all-round sportsman, with his main talent being in tennis, and started his professional career as a backgammon player. He quickly became one of the best backgammon players in the world, and moved to New York to try and make his living there.
Due to limited opportunities in his field he quit and discovered poker as an exchange student at the University of California in 1993, with Texas Holdem being his specialty. It didn't take him long to master the game and discover his own unique approach to playing it, and he became widely known for his wild method of betting.
