Poker Pros - Bio - Doyle Brunson

There is only one word to describe Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson: legend. Doyle has been playing for many years and is one of the most accomplished players in the game. One of only two players to win ten bracelets from the World Series of Poker (Johnny Chan is the other), Doyle remains successful at the highest cash games, and has been playing the game for about a half of century.

Doyle was born in Longworth, Texas on August 10, 1933. He played basketball, baseball, and ran track in high school. He was chosen as one of the five best basketball players in the state of Texas and he was also the best high school miler. Offers poured in from colleges and he decided on Hardin-Simmons. The NBA’s (then Minneapolis) Lakers showed great interest in Doyle until he snapped his knee in two places while he was working. He was not able to participate in sports at the level he was accustomed, so the game of poker took over his need to satisfy his competitive nature. He finished college and received his Master’s degree in Administrative Education. He tried to pursue a job in the field, but found he was making more money playing poker than he would working a typical 9 to 5 job. Although, he is known for playing poker, he has also been known to wager large amounts on other activities. His most famous side bet was when he bet a friend $1 million that he could lose 100 pounds. He won that bet.

Doyle married his wife, Louise in 1962. They had four children, including Todd (another successful poker player), Pam, Cheryl and Doyla. Doyla died in her sleep due to a valve problem with her heart when she was 18. He thinks about her every day, but said that he is at peace with God. Doyle currently lives in Las Vegas. He also owns a home on Flathead Lake in Montana.

New players can find all sorts of information on poker, but most people consider Doyle's book Super System the Bible of poker. There are sections on a variety of games written by the top players of that time. He has another book According to Doyle which is a collection of some of the columns that he wrote for the old Gambling Times Magazine. In some of his writings, he said that all gamblers had an obligation to conduct themselves honorably. This is one of the things I admire about Doyle. He recently opened his new online poker room, Doyle's Room.

Doyle's accomplishments are staggering. He made the final table at the first World Poker Tour Championship, won the Legends of Poker Season Three WPT event, and in 2004 he was one of the first three inductees into the Poker Walk of Fame, with Gus Hansen and actor, James Garner. He holds ten World Series of bracelets, including 1976 Deuce to Seven Draw, 1977 Seven-Card Stud Split, 1978 Seven Card Stud, 1979 Mixed Doubles, 1991 No Limit Holdem, 1998 Seven Card Stud, 2003 H.O.R.S.E, and two champion event titles in 1976 and 1977. In his back to back titles he won both with the exact same poker hand, a full house (tens full of deuces) giving the Holdem hand T2 the nickname: "Doyle Brunson".

Event: WSOP2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Rio, Las Vegas
Caption: Doyle Brunson is congratulated by Nolan Dalla
Profile by Shirley Rosario

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