Gus Hansen wins WSOP Bracelet in Europe

[lkport]

He has written books, appeared on television quite a bit and is recognized as one of the elite professional poker players. What more could anyone want? How about a little gold for the wrist? Gus Hansen, Full Tilt Poker pro, had been lacking a WSOP gold bracelet for all these years of celebrity and notoriety. Well he lacks no more. The World Series of Poker Europe features only five bracelet events this year and Gus managed to get himself 20% of those bracelets in the £10,000 No Limit Hold’em High Roller Heads-Up tournament.

The author of "Every Hand Revealed" had to wait an extra day to get his shot at poker immortality. Gus Hansen and Jim “Mr_BigQueso” Collopy were playing the best 2 out of 3 games match for the bracelet on Thursday and had each won a game. The winner of the next game would be a bracelet heavier. There was a problem, however. To get even in the penultimate match took the combatants until 3:45 am local time. Both of these warriors were scheduled to play in the WSOP Europe Main Event in roughly seven hours time. A dilemma seemed to be looming for event organizers.

WSOP Europe organizers decided the final game of the match would have to be postponed until a later time. the players were sent off to bed so they could get some sleep before the Main Event. The plan was to wait and see how the WSOP Europe Main Event played out and reschedule the final game after either both players busted from the Main Event or if one of them made a deep run, perhaps after the big show. Eventually both gentlemen did bust in the televised extravaganza and the final game was scheduled for 6:00 pm local time on Sunday September 26, 2010.

An added bonus of waiting as they did is both players may get some television time as a result of the cameras being already on site for the Main Event. The game took less than 4 hours for Gus Hansen to best his opponent. Jim Collopy eventually got his smaller stack all in with king-four suited and Gus made the call with four-four. No flush or king hit the board and Gus Hansen picked up his first WSOP gold bracelet. The prize for winning (£288,409) rivals maybe one online session for Gus Hansen but bracelet opportunities are much more limited. Hansen seemed relieved to get in his words "For sure a monkey off my back".