Thor Harald Hansen[1] (23 June 1947 – 5 December 2018) was a Norwegian professional poker player. He was recruited by Larry Flynt to play poker for him after Hansen played against him in Las Vegas in the mid-1990s. He has two WSOP bracelets, one from the 1988 WSOP in Seven-card stud, and then later in Deuce to Seven Lowball in the 2002 WSOP.[2][3] He finished in the money four times during the 2006 WSOP, coming in second place in the $3,000 Omaha Hi/Lo event.[4]
| Thor Hansen | |
|---|---|
 Hansen at the EPT Monte Carlo (Grand Final) in 2008 | |
| Nickname(s) | Betan (Lille Betan) |
| Residence | El Segundo, California |
| Born | 23 June 1947 Oslo, Norway |
| Died | 5 December 2018 (aged 71) |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | 2 |
| Money finish(es) | 46 |
| Highest ITM Main Event finish | 21st, 1998 |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | None |
| Money finish(es) | 4 |
| European Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | None |
| Money finish(es) | 2 |
Biography
editHe was part owner of the company Poker Blue and was awarded the first Norwegian Poker Player of the Year award in 2005. He was considered by many Norwegian poker players as their "Godfather".[5]
In 2007, Hansen cashed in the money at the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event coming in 134th place out of a field of 6,358 players, winning $58,570, and finished in 8th at the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E event, earning an additional $188,256. As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $2,600,000.[4] His 46 WSOP cashes account for $1,165,960 of his total winnings.[6]
In 1999, Thor married Marcella Braswell on Catalina Island, California. The couple divided their time between California and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Hansen was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and went through chemotherapy treatment. Hansen died in 5 December 2018.[7]
WSOP Bracelets
edit| Year | Tournament | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | $5,000 Seven-card stud | $158,000 |
| 2002 | $1,500 Deuce-to-Seven | $62,600 |
References
edit- ^ US Search "Thor Hansen"
- ^ "19th World Series of Poker - WSOP 1988, Seven-Card Stud". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ "33rd World Series of Poker - WSOP 2002, No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Thor Hansen's profile on The Hendon Mob". The Hendon Mob Poker Database. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ nettavisen.no Article on Thor Hansen, nettavisen.no; accessed 26 January 2017.(in Norwegian)
- ^ "Thor Hansen". WSOP.com. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Hugsted, Christian M. (5 December 2018). "Pokerlegende Thor Hansen (71) er død". dagbladet.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 16 November 2023.