One of the most fearsome players in the world, Gus Hansen, gives us his strategy tips for tournament success
With lifetime winnings of over $ 5 million, Gus Hansen is one of the most feared players on the planet. PokerPlayer gets a lesson in how to
be a tournament destroyer – from the master himself.
Gus Hansen is wielding a sledgehammer and swearing like a trooper. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to ask him how he managed to lose the chip lead going into the final table of the WPT Barcelona in October. ‘There were five guys and they basically all stuck it right up my…….’ He stops pre-expletive, clunks the sledgehammer to the floor and the grimace switches into his trademark grin.
Despite the disappointment of just missing out on what would have been his fifth WPT title, the 33-year old Dane is well within his rights to feel in playful mood. In terms of live earnings, 2007 has been his best year yet – with a win in the Aussie Millions and deep cashes at the WSOP and WSOPE helping to take his winnings to just shy of $ 1.7 million.
Hansen may not have reproduced that shock debut where he won two WPT tournaments in the space of nine months in 2002/03; but in many ways his recent results have eclipsed even that purple patch. ‘I’m a better player than I was when I won that first WPT title. I was probably more aggressive back then. There’s more method to the madness now.’
ALMOST THERE…
As we step outside to brave the cold Copenhagen air, Hansen talks candidly about his performances in both the World Series events and the WPT. In each case he managed to amass a mountain of chips, but couldn’t quite bring it together at the end. For someone who is so revered in the poker world, he retains a sense of humility which you might not expect.
‘The WSOP and WSOPE were pretty comparable. I think I played a really good tournament in both and made a few mistakes towards the end. I’ve taken notes because I want to avoid those mistakes in the future. In Barcelona, maybe a better read at the end would have kept me in the hunt.’
Unsurprisingly for a perfectionist like Hansen, it is only the Aussie Millions victory back in January which has managed to sate his hunger to be at the top of his game: ‘It was my most satisfying result because of how I played.’
The aftershocks from that win have only been positive. It assuaged the critics who were convinced that Hansen had lost his touch or at least run out of luck. It neutralised the considerable stick he was getting for his online pot-limit Omaha play – criticisms which he feels are partly justified. ‘I’ve definitely done things that I shouldn’t have,’ he says. ‘I’m probably not an internet player and do too many other things like listen to music, eat food, don’t pay enough attention.’
His victory in the Melbourne showpiece has also lit the touch paper for his first foray into the ranks of poker strategy writing; a subject which, for the most, he feels is ‘absolute nonsense’. He adds: ‘There is a lot of stuff written that I disagree with.’
Hansen’s book will focus on his strategy during the Aussie Millions and draws from the hundreds of hours he has clocked up on his dictaphone. ‘I just speak about the action that took place. Usually I say some specific things. It definitely helps. You could say it’s a lot like how internet players use poker tracker and poker office because it’s good to analyse what’s going on and what your opponent might be doing.’
But you don’t have to wait to read Hansen’s theories. We’re here to get his expert analysis on some of the plays he’s made this year, the opponents he’s faced and what it takes to rake in, protect and use your chips to take down a tournament. It’s a surprising picture of a man who has grown from his early days as a manic-aggressive player into a subtle, thoughtful pro.
It’s no wonder he looks content as we sip a coffee in a dimly lit Copenhagen bar and get to work discussing how tournament poker should really be played…
1. EARLY CHIP ACCUMULATION
By the end of day one in the Aussie Millions, Gus Hansen had more than tripled his starting stack. At the World Series, it had increased five-fold by the end of the first day’s play. If there’s one player in the world who knows how to accumulate a big chip stack, it’s Hansen.
Chip accumulation is definitely easier against amateurs. I completely disagree with anybody who says that it’s easier to play with pros because they do what they’re supposed to instead of amateurs, who make crazy calls. I want to play with amateurs anytime I can get away with it at a tournament. They will let you get away with a little more raising than maybe they should.
Basically, to accumulate chips you have to be in there playing some hands and, of course, sometimes making some hands. Some cards fit better into a limping scheme; some are better for raising and putting some serious money in pre-flop. I’m definitely a fan of limping with pairs, like fours or fives in early position. If it gets folded to me on or near the button, I’ll usually raise and try and take down a small pot.
Just pick up small pots here and there; by the end of the day a lot of small pots will add up to a significant chip stack.
2. MAKING MOVES
One of the things that makes Hansen so exciting to watch is the fact that he can, and does, seem to play any combination of cards from any position. He’s quite capable of calling with 7-2 offsuit pre-flop. But surprisingly, he recommends straightforward poker.
Even though people credit me for weird moves, a lot of the time I play pretty straightforward. I do raise in early position, but it is definitely much easier to get away with things when you are on the button or maybe one off the button. If somebody has shown strength at the table, I am not looking to especially show super strength by re-raising the re-raiser.
You should take advantage of your position; you show a little pre-flop strength and you repeat your message and a lot of times people will believe you. There are exotic plays out there and it is good to know who is capable of those. You can use them yourself once in a blue moon. But I believe the normal play is the biggest beneficiary to increasing your chips stack.
3. AGGRESSION PART 1: AGGRESSIVE VERSUS CONSERVATIVE PLAY
Hansen is the original poster boy for aggressive play and is adamant that if you just sit there and wait for hands, you will quickly get swallowed up by the more aggressive players. He says playing fast, structured internet tournaments help to develop the right mindset.
In internet tournaments, the blinds and antes go up very quickly so you get used to being in the ‘push’ mode. If you translate the style of play you need online to the live environment, it might be a bit too aggressive, but it is still better than the conservative approach. If you can get people to back down every time you three-bet the pot, very soon you will be the chip leader at the table.
There are people who get the big chip stack because they had Aces against Kings, but because they are very conservative, they just blind and ante themselves off as they are not really cued for aggression. It’s hard for these players to change mode. They should just say to themselves: ‘Okay, I’m going to loosen up three levels. So in first position I’m going to raise with pocket fives or 9-8 suited.’
4. AGGRESSION PART 2: AGGRESSIVE VERSUS HYPER-AGGRESSIVE PLAY
Hansen is the first to admit that although aggression is a big part of his game, he has tempered it to the point where he can look sheepish compared to some. At the WSOPE he was bluffed off a substantial pot by John Tabatabai with 7-2 offsuit; a move he describes as ‘half-way insane’.
Tournament poker has changed. You have the young internet players who play more crazy than I ever did. It’s definitely the internet structure that has made a lot of maniacs. They make moves, move in and re-raise. They have nothing on the flop – and still re-raise. They are really pushing it, trying to go for the win. I cannot agree more. But what I think is their downfall and a part of my game where I have improved tremendously is that sometimes you are allowed to stop and think. In the WSOP main event, Dario Minieri was dominating his table.
He got a lot of chips, but he lost them very quickly again. When you never back down, you’ll run into big hands. When you know you are up against the guy who is willing to raise, re-raise, re- reraise before the flop, you have to make a stand and say: ‘My A-10 is good enough to play for my entire stack against this guy.’
5. READING ABILITY
Although televised tournaments often show Hansen with a puzzled look on his face – seemingly indecisive about what to do next – many pros will tell you that he is actually one of the most logical, quick-thinking players around.
I do spend more time than most figuring out the odds and the maths, even though I’m pretty decent at it. I try and put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Even though some people might think I’m bullshitting, I usually am spending my time doing something! I’m not a big fan of physical tells. It happens sometimes, but it’s mostly against weaker opposition; against people who have not played many live tournaments and are nervous. But 90% of all tells are betting patterns.
Pre-flop, you are never going to know exactly what your opponent has for one raise – never. Some pre-flop situations could be easy to read because it is a raise from a tight guy, a re-raise from another tight guy and a third tight guy moves all-in. Does he have two Jacks? That’s basically the worst hand he is ever going to have.
So you might as well muck your pocket tens there. But if you fold to just one raise with two tens, then you are going to lose every time you play in a tournament. At the poker table, you have to be able to live with the fact that you are going to be wrong a fair amount of the time.
6. STEALING AND DEFENDING BLINDS
On day four of the Aussie Millions, there was a period where Hansen was moving his stack all-in and taking 85,000 worth of blinds and antes on every hand. As he explains, most players don’t make the necessary adjustments as the blinds and antes kick up.
If I’ve been laying low for a round or two, I say: ‘Okay, if it is folded to my button, I’m probably going to raise with pretty much whatever I have.’ In other situations, if I’ve been pretty aggressive and I think they are starting to look over my shoulder, I’ll let it go even if it’s a better hand than I raised with the last time.
It depends on how the other players perceive me – or if I’ve just moved to a new table. I probably protect my blinds deeper than most people as well. If I’m facing a raise, I’m usually getting pretty decent odds to call and to see the flop. I might only have 10-6, but if the flop comes 10-8-3, it’s not that bad. I’m just as likely to hit a pair with 10-6 as he is with A-J.
I am a big fan of defending my blinds. I can’t imagine there is anybody in the last couple of years who has had more walks than me. They think: ‘If he’s crazy enough to defend, why would I raise with my Q-7?’
7. PLAYING WITH A SHORT STACK
On the odd occasion that Hansen winds up nursing a short stack, his strategy is to keep moving all-in until his stack returns to a playable state again. Case in point: day five of the WSOP main event this year. Down to 410,000 in chips, he moved all-in four out of six consecutive hands and clawed his way back to 900,000.
It depends on how short-stacked I am, but usually the best way is to shove in. Generally the blinds and antes are of significant size and you really want to add them to your stack. You can always limp and hope to flop a big hand, but it doesn’t help you to flop a big hand if no one has a semi-big hand. It’s much more of a long-shot than just shoving and everybody folding.
I don’t really believe in the limpy kind of style; I think that belongs to more medium/deep stack scenarios where you can take advantage of someone making a serious deep stack mistake.
8. PLAYING WITH A BIG STACK
In the four major results he has had this year, Hansen has gone into each day as one of the chip leaders. It’s very rare for you to see him reach a final table with anything less than a gargantuan chip stack. Hanging on just isn’t the Great Dane’s style.
I see plenty of situations where I think: ‘How the fuck did he blow that chip lead?’ But you lose a pot or two and you get knocked out. There was a WPT in France where I was a solid chip leader on day two and the second player in chips was at my table. I was aiming at the final table and doubled him up. Suddenly I was below average!
You have to keep the pressure on, but you do not have to be completely whacko. Whether you should raise three times the big blind or ten times depends on your hand. Is your hand good enough to be all-in anyway? You can make a min-raise with A-Q and the flop comes 10-8-6. Maybe you should have just taken the blinds and antes by moving in pre-flop? I vary a lot. Let’s say the blinds are 1,000/2,000, very rarely will I make it 4,000.
Most of the time I’m in the 6,000-plus range. If the big blind has 16,000, I’m not folding, I’ll move in for 16,000. I probably never open for 100,000 when the blinds are 1,000/2,000; that’s a little steep. But opening for 20,000 is definitely not out of the question.
9. PLAYING THE ODDS
‘In my opinion, he is the best odds calculator in the game, bar none.’ That’s how Hansen was once described by top British pro Marc Goodwin. Considering his background as a professional backgammon player, you’d be hard-pressed to disagree. So is maths really the basis of all Hansen’s plays?
With reads there is definitely some uncertainty. The maths you know for sure – so why not start with it? If you think you need a 32% chance of winning based on the money in the pot – and you know you have more than a 32% shot – then you should call. You can always figure out the maths because that is not going to lie, then you can mix in a little bit of your read and say: ‘Would he really move all-in with that strong a hand? Or would he make a smaller raise? What is going on?’ Then you make a decision and sometimes my decision is to call with Q-6 offsuit!
10. HEADS-UP
Hansen knows a thing or two about how to succeed in the most climatic spot of a poker tournament. In January of this year, he completed one of his most famous heads-up victories yet by overcoming a 4/1 chip deficit to defeat Jimmy ‘Gobboboy’ Fricke and claim his first Aussie Millions title.
Heads-up, to me, is the most skilful part of poker. A lot of the time in heads-up, it’s going to be about tiny edges and you have to push them. If you can constantly grind small edges and keep pushing, then at least you’re on the right path. Although the aggressor has an edge, the most aggressive guy doesn’t necessarily win.
At the Aussie Millions, Jimmy had been more aggressive than me, but I believed I could hold my ground; so I wasn’t as inclined to go for the big shoot-out. If I was up against a better heads-up player than me – like Phil Ivey or Patrik Antonius – I would get a little more aggressive and re-raise pre-flop instead of calling and seeing the flop. I’d be happy to shoot it out and get my pocket fives in against their A-K.
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