I feel like I’m ready to get back in the game and what better way to do it than with this team.
In one of the most sensational announcements of the year, French online poker and casino operator Winamax unveiled the signing of Gus “The Great Dane” Hansen as newest member of Team Winamax.
The announcement came in the form of a short video, which was published in Spanish and French across Winamax’s various social media channels. It has stirred the imaginations of the entire poker community.
The Danish pro, who captivated thousands of fans with his hyper-aggressive playing style in the years of the Poker Boom, is now expected to make a return to playing poker on a regular basis to the delight of the entire poker world.
After a long hiatus from major live poker events, which Gus ended at last year’s WPT World Championship, we are now expected to see The Great Dane battling on behalf of his new sponsors in poker tournaments around the world.
Gus Joins New School Poker Pros on Team Winamax
Gus Hansen is one of the most well-known poker players in the world, whose fame reaches back to the days of the Poker Boom, when he was dominating poker tournaments on all continents and making epic appearances on TV poker shows like High Stakes Poker.
His daily grind of the poker circuit was put on hold, as private life had him go back to his native Copenhagen and spend some years there with his family, while making occasional appearances at the green felt in the meantime.
Now, Gus will be coming back in a more full-time fashion, as he joins the Winamax Team made up of players many years his junior, such as Adrian Mateos, Leo Margets, João Vieira, and Gaelle Baumann, all accomplished poker professionals as well.
Asked about his new team, Hansen had nothing but kind words and praise for his colleagues: “For me, Team Winamax is the best team in the world. I feel like I’m ready to get back in the game and what better way to do it than with this team. I think I can learn a lot about other players on the team and that I can also contribute things to them.”
Indeed, Gus will be joining a team of versed tournament professionals who have spent years plying their trade and accomplishing incredible feats, with the likes of Adrian Mateos and João Vieira in particular excelling in this.
They will now get a chance to learn some tricks of the trade from the legendary Dane, as they transfer their knowledge and understanding of the game onto Hansen to everyone’s mutual satisfaction.
Hansen’s Tennis Buddy Brings Him On Board
According to reports, Hansen was brought into the Team Winamax fold by Stephane Mateu, the Team’s coach and manager, who has been at the forefront of all negotiations with the Dane.
The two met many years ago at the tennis courts in Las Vegas, as both shared a passion for the game. According to Gus himself, Stephane and him had ideas about working together for many years, and the right time finally came for Gus to join Stephane at Winamax.
Hansen commented: “Stephane and I have always talked about the possibility of working together. The possibility has always been in the air. We thought it might be the right time.”
After some previous contact, Gus finally met Stephane and some of the Team at last year’s WPT World Championship at the Wynn in Las Vegas, where the deal was finalized and Gus agreed to join the operator.
Now, four months later, the news is finally official, and we are set to see Hansen play with the red W logo at the upcoming EPT 2024 Monte Carlo later this month, before traveling to Marrakech to play in Winamax’ SiSMIX Marrakech festival in May.
The Return of The Great Dane
Gus Hansen became a legend of the poker world along with the likes of Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Hellmuth back in early 2000s. At the time, Hansen was racking up WPT trophies, winning the 2007 Aussie Millions Championship, and representing Full Tilt Poker, one of the biggest online poker platforms of the period.
After winning the 2007 Aussie Millions Championship, Hansen wrote “Every Hand Revealed,” a poker book that became a must-read for all would-be tournament players of the time, as Hansen revealed his hole cards and thinking behind every hand played in the tournament.
Later on, Hansen would also appear on High Stakes Poker and play some legendary hands, including the one few fans will forget — where he made quads against full house and stacked Daniel Negreanu for all his chips.
In the years since, Hansen has apparently been living in his native Copenhagen, raising his first-born child and tending to a more regular life.
Yet, almost every single summer, Gus would treat us with some exclusive content from the biggest mixed-games in the world, many played in Las Vegas during the World Series of Poker, and always making sure we knew that “it’s gonna be a great summer.”
For Hansen, the summer of 2024 might just be one of the best ones yet from a professional standpoint, as he will look to come back to the big stage, play this year’s WSOP 2024 and many other live events, and potentially add new silverware to his cabinets.
His first official appearances as Team Winamax member are coming very soon, so make sure to stay tuned for the coverage of this year’s EPT Monte Carlo and further events to follow in the build-up to the World Series of Poker.
