by Simon Young

Gus Hansen is taller than Tom Cruise. Okay, I admit this conundrum has probably never even entered your head, but let me explain. A picture of the Great Dane placed on a poker forum today made him look like a very small person. It was the perspective, you see. But a debate ensued about whether he was, in fact, much taller in real life. Some suggested he was no larger than actor Tom Cruise (not known for his loftiness).

To settle it once and for all, Gus was summonsed to the media room here in Monte Carlo where, stuck conveniently on the wall, was an arrow where Tom Cruise would have been. Good sport that he is, Gus stood next to it, and as erect as he could - and at least half his shaven head was above the "Cruise Arrow".

So there you have it. Gus Hansen IS taller than Tom Cruise - but not by much.

EDIT: Breaking news - Gus Hansen is OUT in a massive pot that saw one other player fetch his coat at the same time. The beneficiary of all this? Chad Brown, of the US, who just happens to be Team PokerStars' Vanessa Rousso's other half, and who now has a whopping 118,000 chips.

The hand was a monster. With blinds at 150-300, Chad limped. Folded round to the small blind who called, and Gus in the big blind, who checked. No danger at this point, but that all changed after the 7-10-K flop. Small blind and Gus both check, Chad bets 500, the small blind calls, but Gus raises to 2,500. Chad calls the raise - then the small blind goes all in for about 25,000.

As if that was not eye-popping enough, Gus pushed too for 30,000 or so and Chad, on a flush and a straight draw felt he had the right price to call. So, all on their backs. Small blind and first "all-inner" had A-K for top pair, Gus 10-7 for two pair and Chad the draw. The turn was gave him the magical flush and the river made no difference.

So Chad now looks like being chip leader. Gus is off to lick his wounds.