Marcel Luske is considered the best player in Europe. In 2001 and 2003 he was named Europe's Player of the Year. In 2004, he managed a 10th place finish at the World Series of Poker main event in Las Vegas, improving upon his 14th place performance the year before. In the last two years, he has won over $420,000 in prize money at the World Series. The former Amsterdam pub owner has proven over the years that he is not only one of the best players in the world, but also the most liked player on the pro circuit.
Marcel Luske - Source: Las Vegas & Poker
If you have seen Marcel on TV broadcasts, you know that he always wears a finely tailored suit while his sunglasses sit upside down on his face. He'll often break out into song and serenade his opponents. He's a fun guy who enjoys and deeply cares about the game of poker. No one ever has a bad word to say about "The Flying Dutchman." Marcel is also a black belt in karate. You would never know that from his calm demeanor and good manners.
Marcel excelled at the 2004 World Series of Poker. He bubbled out of the Final Table at the 2004 WSoP after being knocked out by Dan Harrington. He took second place in the Stud Event and missed a chance at his first WSoP bracelet. He has won tournaments in Stud, No Limit, Pot Limit, Stud Hi/Lo, and Pot Limit Omaha. Marcel routinely plays in big events all over the world and in the last four years he has won tournaments in Holland, Spain, Australia, Czech Republic, England, Austria, and the United States.
Currently, he is 12th on the European Poker Tour's All Time Money List after his 9th place finish at the 2005 Scandinavian Open in Denmark. He recently won the Pot Limit Omaha event at the 2005 Australian Poker Championships. Marcel won nine different Hold'em, Omaha, and Stud events in 2001 when he was named European Player of the Year. If there is a main tournament anywhere in the world, Marcel will be there looking sharp in a nice suit and poised to win it all.
One of my favorite moments from the 2004 WsoP main event was when Marcel correctly read the hand of one of his opponents. As he folded he mentioned, “Kings are good.” The player indeed had pocket kings and for a second I thought Marcel had ESP.
Marcel is also the "host" of the International Poker Federation. Their goal is to bring unity to the poker world by establishing standardized rules that will be accepted by players and card rooms world wide. You can visit their site: http://www.ipfpoker.com/. Marcel is married with two children and resides in Almere, Holland.
