Five Questions With Poker Player Gus Hansen

Poker Player Gus Hansen, the daring Dane reveals his thoughts on bluffing, bracelets, and benching with workout buddy Howard Lederer

1. What’s the greatest bluff you ever pulled off?
Well, a lot of times, the great bluff doesn’t depend so much on your own hand, but more on what read you put on your opponent, sometimes in combination with the board. One of the ones I remember the best, probably because I’ve seen it played over and over again on TV, was on the WPT from the Commerce, against Andy Bloch. I had a 4-2 offsuit, and by the turn it was clear that I had no chance of winning. So I tried to bluff on the turn, he called, it was a semi-scary board, and I felt he had some kind of a hand but was not too happy about it. And a real scary card came on the river, making four to a straight. I felt he was on the second or third pair and he just didn’t want to see that straight card come out there. He checked, and I bet on the river and took down the pot with four-high. And that’s what a bluff is all about. It’s not just blindly throwing a lot of money out there, but really analyzing the situation.

2. In the NBC Heads-Up tournament, you played a memorable hand against Sean Sheikhan where you made top full house and he made quads. At what point in that hand did you realize you were beat?
I suspected I was beat after he moved all in on the river, and I really blame myself for that hand. The flop came out 10-8-8, giving me top pair and him bottom trips. And another eight came on the turn, which makes it almost impossible for him to have an eight. But the betting on the turn indicated that he had a really strong hand. I got a little bit unlucky that another ten came on the river, giving me top full house. Now the only hand I can lose to is an eight—I can’t even lose to the two aces that I was a little bit afraid that maybe he was slow-playing. So when he moved all in after I made a substantial bet on the river, really I should have paid more attention to how the hand played out, so I actually blame myself for the call on the river. And had I saved that money, I think the match might have had a different outcome.

3. Pocket aces or 7-4 offsuit: Which gets you more excited?
Well, there’s no doubt, the pocket aces. You might have a different favorite hand, J-10 suited, or 7-4, whatever. But pocket aces is just such a monster hand. It’s the only hand where you can approach it thinking, how am I going to try to maneuver this to get the most money out of the situation? With 7-4 offsuit, I’m not going to play that very often, except for specific situations where I feel it might be appropriate.

4. Would you trade your three WPT titles for a World Series bracelet?
No. I know a lot of people count and measure with bracelets, and it’s unfortunate for me that I don’t have any, but it’s not been my main focus to get that one bracelet. I’m happy about my three World Poker Tour wins, and I wouldn’t trade them for one World Series win.

5. You and Howard Lederer are workout partners. Who benches more, you or him?
He’s a big guy, a lot bigger than me, so he definitely has me in the bench category. That’s never been a big strength of mine. I’m actually more of a stamina guy. He does heavier weights, I do more reps … and I think I can take him on the cardio.