The Living Legend – Doyle Brunson

Posted by Craig on September 24, 2008

“Texas Dolly” Doyle Brunson, stands alone as a living legend in the poker world. He still plays a lot of competitive poker and it is hard to imagine him not at the World Series of Poker. Doyle has won 10 WSOP bracelets and is still trying to get his 11th. Doyle won his first bracelet in 1976 when the World Series was much smaller and won his last bracelet in 2005. Its been a long journey for Brunson, the kind of journeys you make movies about. I imagine Mr. Brunson could tell stories for days about the old days of playing in back rooms and risking his life to be a poker player. He has been through it all and played against the best in four different decades. Whether you think Doyle is the best ever doesn’t matter, everyone respects him and knows he is one of the best players to ever play the game.

Super System, known as the “poker bible”, was written by Doyle, changed the poker world forever. 1978 the average player now had the ability to see how the pros were making money playing Texas Holdem. If you haven’t read Super System, go out and get it. The book is still relevant today, and will teach you how to play the game like a pro. Doyle said that the book has cost him a lot of money, the amateurs got better because of it.

Doyle is known as a Texas Holdem player, but he might be the best all around poker player to ever live. Brunson has won bracelets in No Limit Holdem, Deuce to Seven Draw, Seven Card Stud, RAZZ and HORSE. In 1979 Doyle even won a Mixed Doubles event with Starla Brodie. With 10 bracelets in total ‘Dolly” won four of them playing No Limit Holdem. The biggest cash that Doyle has at the World Series was he last one when he won the Shorthanded No Limit Holdem bracelet for more then $350,000. That will help you realize how much the game has changed, in 1976 Doyle made $230,000 for winning the main event. In ‘76 Doyle won two bracelets the Main Event and the Deuce to Seven Draw.

The 10 – 2 is Doyle’s hand, he won back to back main events holding those two hole card in 1976 and 1977. In ‘76 Brunson beat Jesse Alto Heads up coming from behind to make a full house, again in’77 holding 10 – 2 Doyle came from behind making a full hose against Gary Berland. 10- 2 is one of the worst hands in poker and forever will be known as “Doyle Brunson”, Doyle will play the hand from time to time when he is on television just for show. Poker has changed a lot since Doyle was winning main events in ‘76 there were 22 players in the tournament and 34 in ‘77 compared to the thousands who enter every year now. Doyle won six bracelets in the 1970′s, but did not win any in the 1980′s. In 1991 Brunson won his first bracelet since 1979, when he took home the $2,500 No Limit Holdem event for more then $200,000. In 1998 Doyle won a RAZZ tournament, and in 2003 he proved he could still win big tournaments when he won the HORSE event. “Texas Dolly” won his tenth World Series of Poker bracelet in 2005 taking home the Shorthanded event.

The family man, Doyle married his wife Louise in 1962. Doyle and Louise had three children, his son Todd became a professional poker player himself. Todd and Doyle were the first father / son combination to win World Series of Poker bracelets. Pamela, Doyle’s daughter also plays and found some success in the 2007 Series. Doyle overcame great obstacles in his life, he had cancer in the early ‘60′s that was said to incurable. After he had an operation no cancer could be found and the doctors said it had to be a miracle. His daughter Doyla passed away at the age of 18 and Doyle turned to religion to get him through the tough times.

To this day Doyle Brunson frequents the biggest cash games in Vegas and plays multiple tournaments a year. He plays in the World Series of Poker every year in both Las Vegas and in Europe. He has made more then $2,800,000 in his World Series career, and continues the chase for his 11th bracelet. In 2008 in had big runs in tournaments twice, finishing 21st in event eight and finished 16th at the World Championship of HORSE. Doyle has finished in the top 10 at a WSOP tournament 23 times and that number will continue to rise in my opinion. He has had 31 total cashes throughout his career and has had six in the last three Series. The HORSE tournament may be the best chance Doyle has at winning more bracelets in the future, he still is one of the best all around players in the world. He has cashed in HORSE events four times since 2003 and sooner rather then later he may win it again.

Doyle revolutionized the game of poker with his writing and after the poker boom he has re-established himself as one of the best players in the world. A lot of people see “Texas Dolly” as the face of poker. Doyle is to poker what Babe Ruth is to baseball, Wilt Chamberlain is to Basketball and what Gordie Howe is to hockey, a legend. The difference is you can compete with Doyle you can play a tournament or sit in a cash game and test your skills against the most legendary poker player of all time. Take the time watch Doyle play, listen to his stories and just enjoy the fact that you got to see a true legend of poker.