Doyle Brunson – Photo WSOP.com. The prolific poker legend Doyle Brunson (aka “Texas Dolly”) was born on August 10 in 1933. The American poker star and Poker Hall of Famer has published multiple books on poker throughout his 50-year career. In addition to winning the WPT, he’s won the Main Event at the WSOP twice, in 1976 and 1977, making him one of only four players to have won this. Jul 19, 2019 Doyle Brunson Wiki Biography. Brunson, also known as Texas Dodlly, Big Papa or The Godfather of Poker, was born on 10 August 1933, in Longworth, Texas USA, and as his various names suggest, is a professional poker player, but also a writer.
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| Doyle Brunson: 'I can't believe the difference in my life when I'm not playing poker' | |
| Tags: doyle brunson, family, twitter. Posted on 01 August 2012 by 'T'. | ||
Doyle Brunson has played poker professionally for over 50 years and still is very enthusiastic about the game. In fact, at the age of 78 he still lives and breathes poker around the clock. In his latest blog, 'Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm', he writes that nothing else matters when he's playing poker and that he's thinking about how he can improve his game when he's not playing. But even though Doyle's enthusiasm and knowledge about the game has made him extremly wealthy, he admits that it has its downsides as well... 'I can't believe the difference in my life when I'm not playing poker. It's almost another world. When I play poker every day I'm so focused on what I'm doing at the poker table nothing else seems to matter. I wonder if my fellow pro poker players approach the game with the same intensity that I do. Even After playing a long session I come home and think of questionable plays I made at the game and review my options at the time. I'm not sure if that is a healthy approach to poker and life. Not only is it difficult on your family and the people around you but I actually have physical and mental withdrawal pains when I stop playing. That is when I get lots of tweets from my twitter followers about what a cranky old man I've become. But playing poker is the life I chose and I want to do my best, but you forfeit a lot when you go to that extreme. I guess you just have to live with the ups and downs.' writes Doyle Brunson in his blog | ||
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11 comments for 'Doyle Brunson: 'I can't believe the difference in my life when I'm not playing poker'
| noonlion | 01/08/2012 10:59:02 GMT |
| It's such a demanding profession mentally more than anything but so time consuming that the rest of your life can suffer hugely. My g/f has complained i get cranky when I've been playing a long session and then you want to figure what you did wrong, so you review and read...so thats more poker. I can only imagine that a pro is even more ott poker all the time - must be hard to live with someone that is entirely intense about it. borders on obsession/ workaholic. | |
| Fakiry | 01/08/2012 12:22:45 GMT |
| When possible, the professional career should be done in something people love, so that the job can be the less hard possible. Probably, like many old time poker pros, Brunson didn’t started playing thinking he could do that for living, it just keep going with good results til he realized he didn’t need to do anything else for living. And, on top of that, he loved to do it. And that’s why it hurts so much to reach a time in which he can’t keep doing as much as he would like to. He loves it, his mind wants to keep doing it, but his body doesn’t let him do it the way he would like to. Just to give na exemple, in Portugal there’s a film producer with 102 years old (the oldest film producer in the world) that recently said in na interview that he still has a dozen films to do before he stops, but he already realized he probably won’t be able to do them all. Mortality sucks (in some cases, of course)! | |
| WinAllDay | 01/08/2012 13:42:23 GMT |
| Sounds to me like doyle has a legitimate addiction to poker. in his case its good because im sure his lifetime roi is positive. | |
| ayaraled | 01/08/2012 15:04:42 GMT |
| yeah he is very addicted to it that he has dedicate all his life to poker....which is a very good inspiration...spending a lifetime must have been a wonderful experience...specially if your a pro like doyle... | |
| Jibberish | 01/08/2012 15:24:49 GMT |
| definately addicted i think we can all agree to that, but the real question is how can i achieve a positive roi with my addiction =D | |
| pochui | 01/08/2012 18:04:40 GMT |
| its no other than any pro athlete, singer, businessman etc. think and do- they all give everything they can for their job, they try to become better at what they are doing, always looking for ways to improve, handling the negative situations with calm and keep moving on with confidence- that's why most of people fail at poker, they just want to relax, have fun, and if you go with this attitude it will be hard to be a winning player in the log term | |
| Greenmohave | 01/08/2012 21:34:26 GMT |
| You have to love the guy who takes his game so serious. That's what his life adventure is and always has been about I guess. I know it was enjoyable to watch him play with some of the young guns on High Stakes Poker, which I miss a lot. It's great that he can still enjoy the game and get satisfaction after decades. | |
| Macubaas | 02/08/2012 06:40:24 GMT |
| I think nowadays poker is some what a sinomim with Doyle Brunson, so it is normal the he breathes poker Frankly i do not see him ever retire from poker even though he will not play on the highest level but he will continue to play! | |
| mocoteo | 03/08/2012 04:48:22 GMT |
| I have read some part of his books and it seems that 'old shoe' Mr.Doyle never change from his youth.Keep on going,Mr.Doyle until...... P.S.The book is very good but i think that is focused on live poker.Unfortunately i play only online. | |
| victoryv111 | 18/11/2012 19:34:56 GMT |
| Theres only 1 Doyle Brunson 10 2 clap clap clap!!! theres only 1 Doyle Brunson 10 2 clap clap clap!!! theres only 1 Doyle Brunson 10 2 clap clap clap!!! HIT DA FLO FLOATED THE TURN SHOVED ON THE RIVER AND THEY ALL WENT DOWN!!! GG YOU MADE HISTORY MAN. WTG DB | |
| Mysik86 | 18/11/2012 19:38:02 GMT |
| If he have 'mental pains' when he don't play, he must be addicted to poker. But he's one of the greatest poker player of all-time, so it' pretty normal | |
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You must be logged in, to comment on news...Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson has been playing poker for many decades now. Although the game has changed significantly over the years, one thing has not changed; Doyle Brunson’s dedication to it.
Doyle has gone from playing poker in the saloons of Texas during the 1950s, to playing poker in the prestigious casinos of Las Vegas today.
Doyle has won millions of dollars over the years and he’s considered to be one of the most well rounded players of his time. Many professional players have been inspired by his incredible talent.
For more details on the life and adventures of Doyle Brunson, please read through this comprehensive biography.
Doyle F. Brunson was born on August 10th, 1933 in Longworth, Texas. He was an exceptional athlete when he was younger, excelling at both track & field and basketball. When it came to track & field, he would definitely be considered a long distance runner, setting the school record for the one mile at 4 minutes and 43 seconds in 1950.
His basketball skills earned him a scholarship to Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas.
It was during his time there that the Minneapolis Lakers showed an interest in drafting Doyle, but a brutal knee injury would stand in his way of ever getting to live out his dream as a professional basketball player.
Even with his injuries, Doyle managed to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in 1954. He even finished his master’s degree just one year later in education administration. Unable to play basketball during that time, he started playing poker; his game of choice was five-card draw. He used the money he earned through playing poker to pay for his medical expenses.
After he was done with school, he became a salesman and started to make a decent living for himself. Around the same time, he played in a 7 card stud tournament and won over a month’s salary in just a matter of hours.
Doyle Brunson A Poker Life Video
Needless to say, he didn’t stay with the company long and instead started to pursue a career as a professional poker player.
His first experiences with poker were not in luxurious casinos, but instead were in illegal poker rooms scattered all around Texas. Those who chose to exclusively play poker at this time were often associated with thieves or crooks; basically they were the people that most people tried to avoid.
There were multiple times early on in Doyle’s career where his life was threatened because he won against a thief with a shot gun.
Despite the crazy, life threatening experiences that Doyle endured during this time, he will still reminisce about how that was the best time of his life. His partner on the road with him was Dwayne Hamilton; together they travelled to various parts of Texas, Louisianna, and Oklahoma to compete in countless poker tournaments.
Somewhere along the way, he met Amarillo Slim and Sailor Roberts, who he’d get to know very well over the course of his career.
As Las Vegas turned into the booming multi-billion dollar empire it is today, Doyle Brunson was there every step along the way. As poker adapted, so did Doyle. He was always willing to take chances and try new things.
He never let the fear of striking out keep him from playing the game. Over the course of his career, Doyle has performed well in a plethora of different competitions.
There’s no arguing that Doyle’s greatest career accomplishments have taken place at the World Series of Poker. Having won over ten WSOP gold bracelets in total and having cashed out at the WSOP an additional thirty-six times makes Doyle one of the competition’s top performers.
To see exactly what events he has won and how much money he has been awarded for each event, please refer to the list below:
- Deuce to Seven Draw Event: $80,250 (1976)
- No Limit Hold’em Championship: $230,000 (1976)
- Seven Card Stud Split Event: $62, 500 (1977)
- No Limit Hold’em Championship: $340,000 (1977)
- Seven Card Stud Event: $68,000 (1978)
- Mixed Doubles Event: $4,500 (1979)
- No Limit Hold’em Event: $208,000 (1991)
- Seven Card Razz Event: $93,000 (1998)
- O.R.S.E. Event: $84,080 (2003)
- No Limit Short Handed Texas Hold’em: $367,800 (2005)
As the list above indicates, Doyle Brunson won the WSOP main event two years in a row. In the 1976 WSOP main event, Doyle was head to head against Jesse Alto for the title when he received a 10 and 2 of spades, the cards that would cause him to get a full house to end the game.
The following year, Doyle would find himself against Bones Berland at the final table. He again received a 10 and 2 of the same suit, which he would later use to complete a full house and take home the championship.
The 10-2 hand is often referred to as “Ten Deuce” or “The Mystic Hand,” and it’s said to bring good fortune to whoever is lucky enough to come a crossed it.
He was able to take away almost $2 million from that event alone. Winning this allowed him to join an exclusive group of only five people who have won both the WSOP main event and a WPT title.
Doyle has also participated in NBC’S Poker After Dark series, which started back in 2007. The show was one hour long, and it went on for fourteen weeks per season. Doyle was one of the inaugural winners of the competition, walking away with $120,000 when everything was said and done.
Some of the other tournaments he has won events in are Amarillo Slim’s Superbowl of Poker, America’s Cup of Poker, the Hall of Fame Poker Classic, and Queens Poker Classic Summer Edition.
When he isn’t competing in tournaments, he can often be found playing for high stakes at Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino. The blinds for these games sometimes soar past $100,000/ $200,000.
Doyle often played here with one of his good friends, Amarillo Slim, who passed away in 2012. Now he plays with some of the younger professionals, such as Phil Ivey, and enjoys watching this new generation of poker players in action.
We weren’t surprised to see Doyle’s name on the Poker Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 1988, alongside Jack “Treetop” Strauss. When Doyle was inducted, there were only sixteen members, but today the Poker Hall of Fame consists of over fifty members.
Doyle wrote a book entitled, Doyle Brunson’s Super System: A Course in Power Poker, which made its way to publication in 1979. This book was the first of its kind, as it’s a complete Poker strategy book that covers almost any variation of poker one could think of.
Many professionals were upset about how much information was leaked in these books, as they believed it gave the amateurs the necessary tools they needed to give the professionals a run for their money.
Doyle wanted his book to be as accurate as possible, so he asked for the help of other professional poker players to write specific sections of his book if he felt they were more knowledgeable when it came to that subject.
The Draw Poker section was written by Mike Caro, the Hi/Lo section was written by David Sklanski, the 7 Card Stud section was written by Chip Reese, the Lowball section was written by Joey Hawthorne, and the Limit Texas Hold’em section was written by Bobby Baldwin.
Goodreads gave this book 4 out of 5 stars and said,
We weren’t surprised to discover that over 300,000 copies of this book have been sold worldwide.
The sequel of this book was published in October, 2004; it was simply titled Super System 2. Even more variations of poker are covered in this book, and even more professional poker players contributed their advice. This book goes into more detail than the first book, and includes new sections on the psychology behind poker and applying advanced strategy.
Also in 2004, Doyle launched an online poker room, which he named, Doyle’s Room. It has been associated with several different networks over the years including Playtech, Microgaming, and Cake Poker.
Doyle eventually cut his connections with the poker room, after an investigation revealed that it had violated several gambling laws.
This wasn’t the only time that Doyle Brunson would be under investigation, as the Securities and Exchange Commission filed one on December 14th, 2005. They were claiming that Doyle had tried to manipulate the stock price of WPT Enterprise by making a fake tender offer.
Doyle Brunson Health
The SEC was never able to find enough evidence to support their claims, so the charges were eventually dropped.
In 1962, Doyle met the woman he would eventually spend the rest of his life with: Louise. Less than two years later, the two of them would be married and ready to start a family together. Louise was pregnant with their son, Todd, when Doyle discovered a cancerous tumor on his neck.
The Doctors predicted that he wouldn’t make it to see the birth of his son, but not only was he there for his son’s birth but his tumor went away almost immediately. Doyle thanks his miraculous recovery to a faith healer he contacted via mail just a few months prior.
Doyle Brunson Poker Room
Doyle never pressured his son into becoming a professional poker player, but he did give him the tools and resources he needed to get on the right path. Early on in Todd’s career, he won a WSOP gold bracelet in the Omaha Hi-Lo event.
Doyle is very proud of his son and all that he has accomplished so far; Todd will certainly be carrying on his father’s legacy.
Although Todd seems to get the most attention from the media, Doyle and Louise actually had two daughters as well: Doyla and Pamela. Their first daughter, Doyla, passed away when she was eighteen due to a heart valve condition.
It was a very difficult time for the whole family; Doyle took quite a bit of time off from his gambling career to be with his wife and kids after her death. Pamela enjoys playing poker and although she doesn’t hold any WSOP bracelets, she has competed in the WSOP main event several times.
Doyle has made a couple appearances in the filming industry, having starred in the 2006 documentary, No Limit: A Search for the American Dream on the Poker Tournament Trail and having played a small role in Lucky You in 2007.
Many directors have asked him to be in his productions, but he usually refuses as he has a fear of being portrayed in a negative light.
Despite his love of poker, Doyle has realized that it’s his family and friends that truly have made his life worth it over the years. In an interview with Bluff Magazine, he left them with this final statement,
Doyle Brunson Poker Videos
Bluff Magazine declared Doyle the number one most influential force in the world of poker and it’s not hard to understand why.