By far the world’s largest set of poker events, the North American World Series of Poker includes more than fifty events—one for each of poker’s different varieties, and it lasts for more than a month.  For the last several years, ESPN has televised the “Main Event,” a $10,000 no-limit hold’em extravaganza which attracts thousands of contestants and awards multi-million dollar purses.  In 2007, the World Series of Poker added a European championship, which immediately became at least as popular and just as lucrative as the American version.

The popularity of the World Series has spawned a worldwide poker sensation, and Texas Hold ‘Em has changed the face of casino and card-room gaming,  High-profile poker players have become celebrities, and their histrionics at the hold’em tables have changed the popular notion of a “poker face.”  Although some Hold ‘Em players still bring expressionless, emotionless faces to the table, hiding their eyes behind dark sunglasses and barely moving a muscle, many of the game’s celebrities delight fans with emotional outbursts, trash talk, and all kinds of “misdirection.”  Some experts claim that Texas Hold ‘Em depends as much on a good bluff as on good cards.

And fans of the game grudgingly will agree they may have to consider changing its name to Danish Hold ‘Em, because eight elite Danes have dominated the game, the World Series, and the World Poker Tour since then dawn of the new millennium. 

Among those elite Danish eight, Martin Wendt is the new kid at the table, but he quickly has distinguished himself as a formidable player. 

Breaking into the big time in the 2005 Poker Million, Wendt held the chip-lead for most of the tournament, but the cards turned against him in the later rounds, and he finished a somewhat disappointing third.  Still, that third-place finish earned Wendt $200,000 and opened the doors to bigger, more prestigious tournaments.  Wendt won the 2007 William Hill Poker Grand Prix, pocketing over $340,000; and he subsequently captained the Danish team in the Poker Nation’s Cup—no small accomplishment in a group that reads like the Who’s Who of the poker world.

Wendt has earned a reputation as an exceptionally cool, even-tempered presence at the table; and he numbers among the few young players who go by the old-school standards.  Wendt shows no expression–none whatsoever– no matter which cards fall.  His opponents typically cannot tell whether he holds a handful of face cards or a prize collection of nothing.  Wendt definitely qualifies as Denmark’s answer to America’s “Cool Hand Luke.”

Somewhat shy about speaking to the press, Wendt has spoken publicly about his play in the finals of one major tournament, and the discussion illustrates how the game requires both luck and “table image.”  Dealt “pocket aces,” Wendt simply, calmly matched his opponent’s wager.  On the next turn, when the dealer added a third ace into “the flop,” Wendt’s opponent went “all-in” on a pair of jacks—normally a reasonably safe bet.  Once again, Wendt matched his opponent’s wager giving no sign of what he held.  When the hand reached its natural conclusion, Wendt coolly collected all of his opponent’s chips, commenting “that’s poker,” and preparing for the tournament’s final round.

At the end of 2008, Wendt’s total lifetime winnings totaled nearly $1million.  An accomplished on-line player, Wendt has earned considerably more money on the cyber circuit.