Gus Hansen Takes A Beating in Macau But Plays On

February 7th, 2012 | 9:15 am

The Great Dane loses a HK$14.7 million ($1.9 million) pot in a brutal losing session at the cash games in Macau.

By Joss Wood, Rakeback.com Poker News Staff Writer

Gus Hansen made over $3.5 million (USD!) the last time he was in Macau. After taking 3rd in the Aussie Millions AU$250K Super High Roller event for AU$800K he decided to ride his winning streak and return to the former Portuguese colony to play in some of the biggest games in Asia. 

The huge pot came in his 3rd session at the high-stakes cash tables. Blinds were HK$10K/HK$20K, and the game was No-Limit Texas Hold’em. Gus had encouraged a round of straddles and then re-straddled to HK$80K. There was already around HK$1 million in the pot when the flop was dealt, 9h-6d-2d. The original straddler bet out HK$550K and Hansen pushed all-in for HK$5.3 million.

Gus’s 9d-7d, for top pair with a flush draw, looked pretty good when he made the move, but two callers ballooned the pot up to HK$14.7 million ($1.9 million) and suddenly things looked bleak. Gus was up against a set and the nut flush draw leaving him only backdoor outs and 4.3% equity in the huge pot. Lady luck deserted the Dane, and he was left with a badly dented bankroll.

Plenty of Heart and a Deep Bankroll

Undismayed, Gus dug into his reserves and carried on. In his 4th session he caught his outs while semi-bluffing a HK$5.3 million pot but handed it all back in a HK$10 million hand when a heart-stopping bluff with Q-J ran into a pair of Kings. 

Even when all looks black there is still hope, and a few hours ago as of this writing Gus’s persistence and emotional resilience paid off. Gus faced a river shove on a horrible board. The river had brought home a possible flush draw and the board had paired. For most of us a call would have been out of the question, but Gus made the impossible decision and caught the villain bluffing. The HK$13.5 million ($1.74 million) pot was a fine reward for such courage. 

While we wish we could get a closer look at the action than what Gus reveals on his blog, without having seen it we’re sure of one thing- Hansen will leave Macau a much wealthier - or much poorer - man.