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Poker Player Profile: Doyle Brunson
Without question, Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson is a living legend in the poker world. How popular is Doyle Brunson? Put it this way: I could say Doyle and you would know who I was referring to; I could say Brunson and you would know who I was referring to; I could just say Ten/Deuce and Doyle’s name comes to mind. Yeah he is that iconic in the poker world!
Doyle’s nickname “Texas Dolly” came about when Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder mispronounced his name at the WSOP, and it has stuck ever since. His success is so envied that Doyle is the owner of the most sought after card protector in poker “Casper” a small ghost figurine, that Doyle occasionally ‘rents’ to other players, and is rumored to have been purchased by another player upon Doyle’s passing. With no other explanation for his ability to play top level poker for 50 years, it seems people are willing to believe it’s a magical figurine!
Doyle is poker, and has been the most important player in the game since the 70’s, and has been considered at the top of the poker echelon for over 50 years: Now that is staying power!
Brunson was a star athlete in High School --in both the 1-mile and basketball—and was recruited by many colleges. His athletic dreams were dashed when a ton of sheetrock fell on his leg, leaving him in a cast for two years. After the injury Brunson shifted his focus from athletics to academics; and received his Master’s Degree in administrative education.
The story goes that on his first day of work Doyle was invited to play in a poker game; and when he took home a month’s salary in three hours of poker he found an outlet for his competitive juices, as well as a solid income for years to come.
During his early playing days Brunson travelled around Texas with two other players –Sailor Roberts and Amarillo Slim—and the three of them tore up the illegal back-room games that were a mainstay of the era. Eventually, in search of bigger games, the ‘Road gamblers’ pooled their money, and decided to press their luck in Las Vegas. Unfortunately they went busto, and while they remained friends they decided to go their separate ways.
Brunson stayed in Vegas, and has been a Las Vegas fixture ever since. With the recent rise in poker’s popularity Brunson is as fixed in Vegas lore as Bugsy Seigel or the ‘Strip’.
Brunson has played in the biggest poker game in the world since the 70’s, and has won millions in tournament poker in his career (currently close to $6 million). Brunson has also authored several successful poker books including the best seller Super System, and lends his moniker to his online poker site ‘Doyle’s Room’ which is now on the Cake Poker Network.
Brunson’s poker accomplishments are so numerous that the ones I leave off this list would be prominently displayed in most other player’s resumes!
* Two-time WSOP Main Event Champion –1976 & 1977
* 10 WSOP bracelets in 8 different poker variants
* First player to win WSOP Main Event and a WPT event
* First player to surpass $1,000,000 in tournament winnings
* Author of Super System, considered by many to be the Poker Bible
The days of a Brunson dominating the poker scene seem to be indefinite; Doyle’s son Todd is a regular in the biggest cash games in Vegas, has a WSOP bracelet of his own, and is considered by many players to be among the best in the world.
Additionally the septuagenarian is also an active blogger, runs his Facebook and MySpace pages, and has even joined the growing number of poker players on Twitter! At 76, Brunson is still on the cutting edge and branching out into other markets; simply amazing!
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