The $50,000 eight-game mix at the World Series of Poker, dubbed the “Players Championship,” features some of the game’s most aggressive players, and sometimes absurd pots brew between those who crave the accumulation of a big stack as soon as possible.

At one of the tables sat high-stakes online pro Gus Hansen and live tournament star Brandon Cantu, both known for their relentless styles of play.

On Monday at around 4:00 p.m. local time, after the plaque was switched to no-limit hold’em, the pair quickly found themselves entrenched in a huge hand, especially considering the early stage of the event. Only 11 out of the field of 132 had been eliminated when they tangled.

Cantu raised preflop, and Hansen and another played called. The flop fell K 6 4 . Hansen led out, and soon it was just him and Cantu after Cantu had raised to 18,000.

Hansen decided to make it 45,000 after a long time in the tank.

Cantu thought about it briefly before announcing all in for about 105,000 more.

“Why do I have vague memories of you being insane?” Hansen asked among other mumblings and many facial expressions filled with confusion and tenseness.

Hansen had to think about it for a couple of minutes, before finally electing to call with K-10 off suit. Cantu sheepishly tabled 7-4 off suit for just bottom pair.

However, the inferior hand was rewarded when a seven spiked on the turn. An eight on the river sealed the huge double up for Cantu.

A livid and flustered Hansen said, “That’s how it goes; he was insane.”

Hansen was down to about half the starting stack.

“You have to look at who I am playing,” Cantu told Card Player in defense of his play. “Hansen is the most aggressive player in the history of poker. It goes both ways on levels, and I just happened to be wrong that time.”

Cantu wasn’t trying to get Hansen to lay down a hand like K-10; he thought Hansen was much weaker and could be leading out and raising with a wide range of hands.

“I wouldn’t have put him to the test,” Cantu said. “Not like K-10 can’t fold, though.”

During the break, Hansen was steaming, telling many of his peers about the pot.

“I am happy with how I played,” Hansen said, “but obviously not the outcome.”

One poker pro told Hansen: “The good news is that [Cantu] is still at your table.”

Hansen, Cantu and the remaining players were all chasing a first-place prize of $1.7 million. Stay tuned to CardPlayer.com for more news from the marquee event.