Marcel “The Flying Dutchman” Luske has been tearing up most poker tables he sits at since 2001. In only seven years he has won over $3 million playing tournament poker.

He’s been European Player of the Year in 2001 and 2004, and has finished 14th in the 2003 WSOP Main Event and 10th in the 2004 Main Event. He finished just short of a WSOP bracelet again in 2004 with a second- place finish against Joe Awada in the $5000 Seven-card stud tournament. He is cashing so often that it’s difficult to keep his statistics up to date.

Luske isn’t just a winning tournament player, he is also a stylish and charismatic personality. As close to a real 007 as you’ll find, Luske is a camera magnet with his tailored suits and trademark upside-down sunglasses. He carries himself with charm and a calm that endears him to just about everyone.

Owning a pub in Amsterdam gave Luske an appreciation of people that contributes to his success. He is an ambassador of the game and is always promoting goodwill between players. He also crusades for standardized rules for poker, and is the founder of the International Poker Federation.

His dominance of the European poker scene has led to the creation of a poker school called Circle of Outlaws for young players, some notables being David Williams and Kirill Gerasimov. Recently he has been given a reality show in Europe where celebrities learn the game from Luske and Noah Boeken, and eventually play off against each other with the winner getting entry into a big event in Vegas.

Luske seems to be a truly well-rounded individual who will make real improvements to his game throughout the course of his career. One can not help but enjoy his company, and respect his opinions. He’s certainly one to watch in the future. This guy is going to be real legend in the game, both on and off the tables.