Following an epic match of $500/$1,000 CAP Pot Limit Omaha, Gus Hansen has put himself into the early conversation for biggest money winner in 2011.

The game in question came at the Full Tilt tables, where he matched up with the biggest money winner so far this year, Di “URinDanger” Dang. In only 12 minutes, the ever-dangerous Hansen tore a massive $250,000 chunk out of the challenger’s bankroll.

With the win, the Great Dane put himself up $1.1 million for 2011 in the Full Tilt books. URinDanger, on the other hand, saw his earnings drop into the $850,000 neighborhood. This is largely offset, however, by his $700,000 gains at PokerStars.

No stranger to major swings, Hansen is in the process of putting together one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of the game. Halfway through last year, he found himself down by an astonishing $3.5 million. But as so often happens with his particular style of play, the breaks suddenly began to turn in his favor. By year’s end, he’d manage to cut his losses to only $1.5 million.

With his gains in 2011, Hansen is now approaching his his break-even mark. Known as something of a garbage collector, his unpredictable and often effective style of play has drawn a large following in the poker community, as has his impressive tournament record.