Backgammon, Poker and James Bond
So who is the well known backgammon expert who won four World Poker Tour titles on last week’s backgammon quiz? The answer is obviously Gus Hansen, who arrived at the recent World Series of Backgammon in Cannes, first as a player at the Riviera Cup and later as a commentator at the WSOB final, immediately from the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Hansen was born in Denmark and currently splits his time between the homeland and Monaco. When he started playing poker in 1997, he was already a famous backgammon pro. Gus also has a rich past as a teenage tennis star. In the present, he prefers to define himself as a "professional gambler".
Gus Hansen (left) plays backgammon with Falafel (right) on WSOB Riviera Cup 2008
Gus Hansen is not the only backgammon player who also takes part in the professional poker scene. Other well known multidisciplinary players are François Tardieu, Dan Harrington and Paul Magriel. They usually start in backgammon and then move (forward?) to poker, and not the other way around. Maybe because there’s bigger money in poker, or perhaps playing backgammon improves poker skills?
And now to James Bond on this week’s backgammon quiz. Though recognized with the casino game baccarat, in one of his movies the legendary secret agent played backgammon. Which movie was it? Pick one of the four possible answers and submit your answer and maybe you’ll win the $20 bonus like our previous quiz winners.
