Marcel Luske has been a well-known and much loved poker player on the European circuit for some years now. A true gentleman and a peerless entertainer Luske is often compared to America’s Scotty Nguyen for his ability to amuse and his permanent smile.
Luske shot to fame in America in 2004 during a great World Series of Poker. He narrowly missed out on the final table when finishing in ninth place, but he didn’t miss the public’s attention.
The Early Years
Marcel Luske was born in Holland in 1953. Compared with many of his peers on the poker circuit Marcel was a very late starter, only finding his way to the green felt in 1999. But though Marcel might have been a late starter, he certainly wasn’t a slow starter.
Learning his trade playing at market cafes in Holland it wasn’t long before Luske was winning regularly in big games. In 2001 Luske hit the tournament circuit with a bang, winning the Prague Poker Open in January, followed by three victories in three days at the Euro Finals of Poker in February and a victory in the British Open in March.
From that point on Luske never looked back, and although he wasn’t successful on the UK’s hit poker show Late Night Poker (he was knocked out by Barny Boatman and John Duthie in the group stages on his two appearances) his winning sequence continued otherwise unchecked.
By the time he stormed the WSOP in 2004 Luske had won an incredible 17 tournaments in Europe and had countless other top ten finishes to boot.
The WSOP and Co
Marcel Luske first played in the World Series of Poker in 2002. It was a fairly modest showing, with two cashes, although he got off to a great start, finishing third in only the second event of the championship: the Limit Omaha Hi/Lo $5000.
The following year (when Chris Moneymaker won the main-event) Luske did better, finishing 14th out of 839 entrants in the Championship event collecting $65,000. It was a more than impressive showing, and followed hot on the heels of a (coincidentally) 14th place finish in the WPT Five Star World Poker Classic at the Bellagio the previous month. Luske had done even better in Pot Limit Omaha event in the same championships, winning it and taking home the $67,512 first prize.
Luske returned to the WSOP in 2004 full of confidence from his first two attempts and continued to better his results. In a demonstration of his versaltility Luske put in a terrific performance in the $5000 Seven Card Stud tournament, finishing second behind Joe Awada and collecting $120,800.
In the main event Luske finished tenth – four places better than in 2003 but also agonisingly on the final table bubble. Although he will have been disappointed not to have made it to that milestone the win was worth $373,000 – his biggest single pay day at the time.
He also attracted a lot of positive press after he made an incredible read on an opponent holding pocket kings. As he folded his hand pre flop Luske said: “Your kings are good,” to which the reply came: “you mean my ace king?” Not fooled by the lie, Luske calmly replied “No. Your pocket kings.” For everyone watching on television it was an unforgettable moment.
Luske has also had many good showings at the WPT, and although he is yet to win a main event tournament he has won more than once in the preliminary events. His best performance so far came in the $2000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament at the Five Star World Poker Classic in 2005 when he came out on top of a field of 296 entrants, claiming the first prize of $212,070 and a seat in the WPT Championship.
Teacher
Besides being a gifted player Luske has also evolved into a popular tutor and can count such notables as David Williams (runner up to Greg Raymer in the 2004 WSOP) and Kiril Gerasimov (runner up in the season 1 WPT Championship) among his protégés.
He also helps out as an instructor on Howard Lederer’s Poker Camp
The Circle of Outlaws
Luske is in charge of “The Circle of Outlaws,” a group of young up and coming poker players. Luske hopes to bring these young prodigious to the attention of the poker playing world and beyond.
This is just one of Luskes’ many projects. Other feathers in his cap include being nominated as a member of the WFB Advisory Board, his position as an advisor to the World Poker Store, his Poker My Way DVD, and his regular contributions to Bluff Magazine.
And the rest...
The multi-talented Luske also has interests outside of poker. The husband and father is a black-belt in karate as well as the enthusiastic frontman and singer-songwriter of a band.