Jan Sorensen
When it comes to poker in Denmark, there’s one clear hero for younger players hoping to get into the professional game. Hans Christian Anderson must be the most famous character from Odewse in Denmark, but when it comes to notoriety, Jan Sorensen has overtaken him. His is a story filled with many of the dramatic elements we find in his compatriot’s stories. He’s overcome injury in one sport to find fame in another game.
Jan Sorensen
Jan Sorensen was originally a soccer player. He played for many teams in Denmark, including Odewse BK. At the age of 30 he suffered a serious knee injury that ended his professional soccer career. This seems to have spurred him to pursue his love of poker, a game he’d learned well while traveling internationally for soccer games.
To date, Jan Sorensen has won two WSOP bracelets. The first was in 2002 when he triumphed in the $2.5K Pot Limit Omaha even to take home $185K. His next bracelet win was just three years later, when he emerged victorious in the $5K Seven Card Stud event, to the tune of a cool $293,275. He’s a splendid player to watch, and he’s often to be seen on screen during televised big name events. One can be sure that the people back home were cheering when he won his two coveted bracelets.
Sorensen legally changed his name from Jan Hansen some time between his two bracelet wins. By 2008 his tournament winnings alone exceeded $2Million. His compatriots will surely be hoping that he’ll go on to win even more bracelets at the WSOP. He’s known for dramatic finishes, which is one of the reasons why he’s so good to watch at live tournaments. He frequently defeats large fields of players to make the final tables, and he’s never easy to beat when he gets there. Denmark may not be well known for poker, but with Sorensen’s success, all that is changing.
