George Danzer

George Danzer was born on 17 July 1983 in São Paulo, Brazil, to a German family. He holds German nationality and is based in Salzburg, Austria. In his youth, Danzer excelled at chess, becoming the Portuguese Under-10 Champion and representing Portugal at the World Youth Chess Championship. This early strategic training would later influence his analytical approach to poker. Before dedicating himself fully to poker, he also pursued entrepreneurial interests, and he is described as a former professional player who has since moved into business ventures.

Danzer was a prominent member of Team PokerStars Pro, playing under his own name "GeorgeDanzer" online. He amassed an impressive record in online tournament poker, winning two World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) titles and four Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) titles between 2009 and 2014. His first WCOOP victory came in 2009 in the $320 Pot Limit Omaha [1 Rebuy/1 Add-on, 6-max] event, which drew 976 entrants and paid $109,545. He added a second WCOOP title in 2012 by winning the $320 No Limit Hold'em [Ante Up] event for $69,717.09, outlasting a field of 1,367 players.

His SCOOP titles showcased his versatility across multiple poker variants. In 2010, he won the $162 Fixed-Limit Badugi (Medium) event for $10,345.70. In 2012, he captured two SCOOP titles: the $2,100 NL Single Draw 2-7 (High) event for $34,040 and the $2,100 NL Hold'em [4-Max] (High) event for $155,000. His fourth SCOOP title came in 2014 in the $2,100 PL Omaha [Turbo, Zoom] (High) event, earning $129,645. Notably, only two of his six COOP titles were in No-Limit Hold'em, underscoring his reputation as a mixed-game specialist.

Danzer's first WSOP cash came in 2006, and he reached his first final table in 2007. At the 2006 WSOP Main Event, he gained attention during the ESPN broadcast when he suffered a series of bad beats that built the stack of chip leader Dmitri Nobles; Danzer was shown leaving the table to cool off, only to return and congratulate his opponent. In 2007, he finished ninth in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better event, outlasting 678 players.

He continued to build his resume with deep runs in high-stakes mixed events. At the 2010 WSOP, he finished third in the $10,000 2-7 Draw Lowball Championship, earning $115,295 behind runner-up Eric Cloutier and winner David "Bakes" Baker. In 2012, he recorded two podium finishes: second in the $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8 or Better event for $140,825 (behind Oleksii Kovalchuk) and third in the $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw event for $115,295 (behind winner Nick Schulman and runner-up Mike Wattel). He also made the final table of the $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8-or Better event in 2013, finishing sixth for $34,348.

The 2014 WSOP was a career-defining year for Danzer. He won his first bracelet in the $10,000 Seven Card Razz Championship, defeating Brandon Shack-Harris heads-up for $294,792. Just 11 days later, he captured his second bracelet in the $10,000 Seven-Card Stud High-Low Championship, earning $352,696, becoming the first player to win two Championship Events in the same year. He added a third bracelet at the 2014 WSOP Asia-Pacific, winning the A$5,000 8-Game Mixed event for A$84,600. His remarkable performance—which included 10 cashes, five final tables, and $867,649 in WSOP earnings—earned him the 2014 WSOP Player of the Year Award, with a total of $878,933 in WSOP cashes for the year.

In 2016, Danzer secured his fourth WSOP bracelet by winning the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Split-8 or Better Championship for $338,646. This tied him with Dominik Nitsche for the most WSOP bracelets won by a German player, and only three other Europeans have achieved four or more bracelets. His WSOP career totals include 10 final tables and 17 money finishes, with his best Main Event finish being 305th in 2006.

Beyond the WSOP, Danzer has enjoyed success in other major tournaments. In May 2006, he finished third at the World Heads-Up Championship in Barcelona. He has also cashed in European Poker Tour events, including a 53rd-place finish in the EPT Season 11 Prague Main Event for €16,970 and a 29th-place finish in the EPT Season 11 Malta €10,300 High Roller for €23,300. As of 2023, his total live tournament winnings exceed $2.7 million, with his career earnings listed at $2,746,795 by The Hendon Mob.

Danzer is widely regarded as one of the world's top mixed-game specialists. His success across Razz, Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo, 2-7 Draw, Badugi, and 8-Game events demonstrates a deep understanding of less mainstream poker variants. His online results, with titles in both fixed-limit and no-limit disciplines, further highlight his adaptability. He is a former PokerStars Team Pro, and his nickname "Tricky Scarfy" reflects his creative and unpredictable play. After stepping back from full-time poker, Danzer has transitioned into entrepreneurship, but his impact on the game remains significant, particularly in popularizing mixed games among European players.