World Poker Tour

Claus Nielsen

Hometown
Las Vegas, NV

Birthday
February 13

Total Winnings
$659,120

Born in Denmark, Claus Nielsen is now just as much an American as just about anybody. While he had been playing poker most of his life, he focused his efforts and intelligence in other areas. After moving to the United States, Nielsen earned his law degree at Seton Hall University. From there, Nielsen jumped into the entertainment industry and worked as a consultant in Los Angeles. In 2002, as the poker world began to explode, Nielsen relocated to Las Vegas.

Once settled into the poker world, Nielsen still didn't spend a lot of time playing tournaments. However, one day, Nielsen decided to take a flier and play in a $2,600 super-satellite qualifying tournament. It was the day before the start of the WPT Season IV Championship. That day would end in Nielsen's first tournament victory in his short poker career.

Once Nielsen was in the $25,000 buy-in event, it seemed nothing could stop him. He battled through a record field of more than 600 players. At the end, he Nielsen made the final table and took third place. His efforts earned him more than $650,000. Since then, Nielsen has spent more time as a consultant in the online poker world than he has actually playing poker. His only other recorded finish since his major win in Las Vegas was a 24th place finish at the Scandinavian Open in 2007.