Poker Stories: Gus Hansen CRUSHES Daniel Negreanu with Quads!
It’s one of the most famous poker hands of all time, featuring two all-time legends. Gus Hansen, known for his loose-aggressive play-style that’s completely unreadable because he’s never afraid to raise with any two cards, faces off against Daniel Negreanu, D-Negs, Kid Poker himself. It’s one of the biggest pots ever seen on TV.
According to Negreanu, this is one hand that nobody would ever let him forget. For years afterward, every interviewer always asked him “Do you remember that hand with Gus Hansen?”
“Of course I remember!” he shouts. How could he forget?
Photo: Histakesdb, PokerNews
The Action
In a high-stakes cash game on Poker Go, Hansen starts the action with an open raise of $2,100. He’s holding 5d5c, and he’s under the gun.
Directly to his left sits Negreanu, who decides to 3-bet raise with 6s6h to $5,000. Though he’s 80% to beat Hansen at this point, it’s still a loose raise. Everyone folds around to Hansen, who calls. Going into the flop, the pot is $11,700.
When the flop brings 9c6d5h, the commentator exclaims, “Wow! Both players have flopped sets. Hansen is going to lose a lot of money in this hand.” With just two outs in the deck, Hansen is now only 4% to win. He checks.
Negreanu bets $8,000, and Hansen makes the check-raise to $26k. Negreanu calls.
The turn is the 5s, giving Hansen quads and Negreanu a full-house, sixes full of fives. Things are about to get crazy!
Hansen leads out for $24k and Negreanu decides to call, slow-playing his full-house and hoping that Hansen will continue leading into him.
The river brings the 8s, and both players are happy; they both hope that the 8 completed the others’ straight so that they can get even more money out of them. Hansen lays the trap and checks to Negreanu, who bets $65k.
Without so much as blinking, Hansen shoves it all in. Negreanu is startled, his eyes bugging out as he stands up. “Huh? How much more is it?” he asks. The other players at the table were chatting before, but now everyone is rapt with attention.
Negreanu knows Hansen is a loose player. He could have any two cards. But what would he make this bet with?
After much deliberation, Negreanu calls. Hansen flips over the bad news, and Negreanu is shocked. “That’s the look of a man who lost almost $300,000”, says the commentator as Hansen scoops up a pot worth $575,700.
Luck or skill? You decide. Either way, you can’t make this stuff up—it’s what poker dreams are made of!
