On February 21st, three-time World Poker Tour (WPT) Champion Gus Hansen will square off against World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet holder Theo Jorgensen. The match won’t take place at the poker table, however. Instead, it will be inside a boxing ring. The two Danes will duel in the debut of Gus TV.
The event will occur in Copenhagen, coinciding with the European Poker Tour (EPT) stop, which will crown a Main Event champion the same night. Hansen commented in a press release distributed on Thursday, “Beating up Theo in boxing will be much more enjoyable than winning over him in poker. The sweet taste of victory cannot even be made up in terms of money.” In addition to being combatants in the live poker arena, the two also can be found battling on the squash courts. However, over time, Hansen’s squash abilities have proved to be far superior. Jorgensen noted, “Gus was such a pathetic boxer that I was pretty sure I could beat him.”
If Hansen beats Jorgensen in the boxing arena, Jorgensen will fork over $25,000. If Jorgensen wins, he’ll earn $35,000 from Hansen. However, this match is far from being solely about the money, as Jorgensen quipped: “Forget about the money, this is all about the glory. The loser of this fight will definitely hear about it for many years to come.” Hansen has been honing his boxing skills with former Olympic medalist Johnny De Lima. Tickets to the event can be purchased online and currently run 249 DKK (approximately $40) and the spectacle kicks off at 21:00 local time.
Hansen is a three-time WPT event champion. He dominated the tournament series’ first season, tasting victory in the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic and L.A. Poker Classic, held at the Commerce Casino. The two cashes combined for over $1 million and immediately put the “Great Dane” on the map. Hansen wouldn’t disappear for Season II of the WPT, either. He took down the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for $455,000 and was back at the final table of the Five Diamond World Poker Classic, this time finishing third for $276,000. Hansen’s bankroll was boosted significantly when he placed second in the 2008 WPT Championship for $1.7 million, the end of year tournament for Season VI.
Jorgensen, a native of Copenhagen, earned his first bracelet by virtue of taking down the £5,000 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha tournament during the WSOP Europe last year. He defeated online poker pro Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi (a member of Team Betfair) heads-up; Erik Friberg, Max Pescatori, and Chris Ferguson joined him at the final table. Jorgensen also reached the featured table of the 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event, cashing for £85,070 in eighth place. That tournament was memorably won by youngster Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad. Jorgensen has two cashes to his name on the WPT circuit for a combined $33,000.
The EPT Copenhagen event will provide a backdrop to the boxing match. Jorgensen finished fourth in the 2007 running of the tournament for $178,000. Hansen finished fifth in the EPT Barcelona stop in 2005 for $96,000. Hansen’s TV channel, which will carry the match, serves as a way for fans of the Danish poker pro to watch their hero play across the globe. Production studios have been constructed in Las Vegas and his native Denmark in order to create programming. The site is currently accepting e-mails of interested customers prior to the match on February 21st and bills itself as completely free.
Hansen spoke on Gus TV, his own online television channel dedicated to poker: “Having my own free TV channel is a fantastic opportunity for me to connect with my fans and supporters. Today’s technology means everyone can sit down with me and watch as I play live at tournaments or even just in my hotel room with friends.”
