Kongen Med Oeksen!

With the World Series of Poker Europe about halfway through it's 2008 season, a number of compelling stories have already been written in London. One of the ones that grabbed my attention was the re-introduction of Jesper Hougaard to the poker world. I'll pick up at the beginning of the story.

My first run-in with this guy came over the summer, when I caught bits and pieces of the final table while he was winning his first bracelet, taking home the hardware in Event #36. I didn't cover the event though, and I therefore didn't get to see much of how he played. A few events later, I got the chance to meet him and nearly his entire country, I do believe. The tournament I was working was the $1,000 NLHE with rebuys, Event #44. Among those who made it to the final table were Rene Mouritsen and Albert Iversen, two Danish compatriots of Jesper Hougaard. Apparently, the Danes stick together. Beginning about midway through Day 2, a group of about 20 of their countrymen began filling up the rail, going deep into the night while the rest of the weary spectators trickled out of the Tropicana Room at their respective bed times. The Danish fans, including Jesper Hougaard, stayed till the end though, maintaining an enviable level of energy even into the wee hours of the morning. This is where I learned my first Danish phrase. Take a look at this hand I wrote up from the waning stages of that night:

Just before break, we witnessed a big pot at Table 61. We pick up the action on the flop in a heads-up battle between Rene Mouritsen and Curtis Kohlberg. The board shows . Mouritsen checks, and Kohlberg bets 40,000. Mouritsen flat calls.

The turn is the . Once more, Mouritsen checks. Kohlberg bets again, this time 100,000. Mouritsen again calls.

The river comes the , pairing the board. Mouritsen passes, and Kohlberg fires a third bullet, 200,000. Mouritsen calls.

Kohlberg:
Mouritsen:

As soon as he had tabled his hand, Mouritsen stood up and let out a yell. From the rail, his Danish counterparts broke out into a frenzy, screaming, "Kongen med oeksen!" or "King with the axe!" They tell us the king with the axe is their very favorite hand, and the loud Danish contingent was thrilled to see their buddy take down a big pot with it.

After dragging in that pot, Mouritsen crests the one-million milestone, sitting with 1,070,000. Kohlberg, meanwhile, is crippled down to just 80,000.

Rene Mouritsen and Albert Iversen

I got the spelling and the translation from the Danish cheerleaders, and they continued to give me little tidbits of information throughout the evening. We shared a number of cigarette breaks outside, and I got acquainted with them as the morning hours slowly ticked by. I wasn't actively prodding them for conversation or information, but they were very outgoing and friendly, and were more than happy to talk about their friends and the state of Danish poker in general. Really just a nice group of guys. And damn good poker players.

Play concluded a long time later, as Jamie Rosen bubbled out in 10th Place to set the final table for the following day. Much to my entertainment, the Danes were back in style on that Day 3. All of them showed up to the ESPN arena wearing king's crowns and sporting plastic battle axes in honor of their namesake poker hand. They were sitting in the bleachers just above where I was working, and they were LOUD. Spotting me at the desk, they piled into the seats nearby, close enough to converse with me as I pecked away at my keyboard. They insisted that I wear one of their crowns, and I obliged them for a little while as I tried to get some work done. They were very, very noisy, occasionally breaking into a complete frenzy of cheering and shouting. It was as loud as some sporting events I've been to, and it made for a very entertaining final table to cover.

Jesper Hougaard leads the Danish cheerleading squad
(Photos: www.pokernews.com)

Neither Iversen nor Mouritsen could take home the bracelet though, finishing back-to-back in third and second place, respectively. But they were part of a great showing by the Danes at the WSOP, and I enjoyed having the chance to interact with them for a few days.

Fast forward to this week in London, where Jesper Hougaard was back at a final table, playing for another World Series title. He would indeed manage to win Event #1, besting 410 players to earn his second gold bracelet. PokerNews' Gloria Balding did a nice interview with a very happy Hougaard just after the tournament: