Doyle Brunson

You can call him Doyle, you can call him Texas Dolly or Texas Doyle, you can even call him Mr. Brunson. Just think twice before you call his raise at the poker table. If you are fortunate enough to play with this living legend, you're probably more interested in talking to him about poker than winning the next hand anyway. Doyle Brunson is a legend in every sense of the word. He continues to set records and chalk up victories more than fifty years after he first began playing poker.

Doyle was born on August 10, 1933, in the very small farm town of Longworth, Texas. He had as normal a childhood as any, playing sports and spending time with friends and family. By the time he reached high school, he excelled in track events and basketball, eventually leading to many scholarship offers from colleges around the country. In order to stay near home, however, he chose to attend Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. A break came in Doyle's college days when he was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers to play in the NBA. His dream of playing sports on a professional level was shattered shortly thereafter though, when he injured his knee so severely that he was never able to play again. His leg never properly healed, and to this day, he still often requires the assistance of a cane. With a sports career no longer an option, Doyle completed his college classes and graduated with an MBA in the field of administrative education. Before pursuing a teaching job, he accepted employment selling bookkeeping equipment. One week into the job, he received his first paycheck and realized that he could make more money in one poker game.

During those years in school, Doyle had been introduced to poker as a form of entertainment. He found that he was good at it, enjoyed the competition, and was able to win cash at backroom games. After graduation and the first week in the real world, he chose poker as his profession and never looked back. Since gambling wasn't legal in Texas during the 1950's, Doyle was left to find poker games in underground cardrooms. Along with the action, he came upon some like-minded men, Sailor Roberts and Amarillo Slim, who became his friends. They formed a partnership of sorts, traveling together to find cash games and combining winnings into one large bankroll. Finding poker games in small towns across the state of Texas wasn't without its perils. Doyle recalls and he speaks of many encounters with thieves, murderers, and outlaws who made life interesting, albeit a bit dangerous. Though the trio were robbed numerous times, they escaped death and now treasure that period in their lives as a learning experience like no other. It was during those days that the three men learned how to master the game of poker. They would talk for hours about figuring odds and deciphering other players' styles. On one trip to Las Vegas, the group lost their whole bankroll and disbanded upon return to Texas, though this never affected their close friendships. Doyle was back on his own in his home state and continued to find games to conquer, which allowed him to reconstruct his finances and make a decent living.

In 1960, Doyle met Louise, the woman he courted for several years before she agreed to marry him. Committing to a professional gambler wasn't the easiest decision for her at the time. Nevertheless, she was at Doyle's side several years later when he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his throat. Doctors saw that the cancer was quickly spreading throughout his body and was nearing his brain, giving him several months, at most, to live.

Choosing risky surgery as his last hope, Doyle came through it, and the doctors soon found no sign of the cancer whatsoever. Doyle and his wife attributed the miracle, as they called it, to their religious background and prayer. After a reasonable amount of recovery time and Louise pregnant with their first child, Doyle resumed his travels on the poker circuit and was able to make enough money to secure a comfortable life for his family. Soon, that family consisted of daughters, Doyla and Pamela, and son, Todd.

By 1973, Doyle had exhausted most of the cash games available to him in Texas and had been banned from the rest because of his ability to win so consistently. He finally moved the family to Las Vegas, where the games were abundant and legal.

Doyle had been playing in the World Series of Poker since its inception in 1970, but it wasn't until 1976 that he captured his first titles. Not only did he win the $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw tournament, but he won the biggest event of all, the $10,000 No Limit Hold 'Em World Championship. Earning two bracelets and a great deal of prize money that year, he proved his extraordinary skills by beating the best poker players in the world.

Being a man of confidence and passion about his career, Doyle entered the WSOP Championship event again the following year and won, becoming the first person to win consecutive titles. A legend was in the making, and everyone in his presence knew it.

In the late 1970's, Doyle put pen to paper to share some of his poker knowledge with the world in a book that became the 'bible' of poker, Super System. As proof that he, along with his theories and playing style, was worthy of the respect he was receiving, he continued to play and win tournaments in a variety of games and make a substantial living over the next several decades. To date, he has ten WSOP bracelets and is tied with another poker icon, Johnny Chan, for the world's record.

Doyle even made his mark on television audiences around the world by playing and winning the World Poker Tour's Legends of Poker tournament in 2004. A fan favorite for his longevity in the gaming world, and seemingly endless energy and passion for poker, Doyle is a living example of the history of poker. He loved the game when it was illegal and life-threatening to play, and he warms to the cameras in today's era of televised hole cards and complicated filming schedules. He has been playing poker professionally longer than anyone in the game, and five decades of consistently skilled play sets him apart from any other player.

Despite the fame and fortune that Doyle has earned for his influence on and dominance of the game, he remains humble and cognizant of what is most important in his life. Family continues to be his top priority, especially after the loss of his daughter to a heart condition in the early 1980's. Along with the health problems that he and his wife have both overcome, these life-changing events have brought faith and familial bonds to the core of his existence.

With a certain amount of reflection on his 70 plus years always evident on his face, Doyle is also never without a smile, a story to tell, or time to speak candidly with those who share his love of poker. He is a charming, funny, and generous man who is adored by friends and admired by fans around the world.

Whether it is the hardships that he has hurdled, the successes that he has achieved, or some combination thereof, he is the most respected man in poker. He is the representation of where poker started, how far it has come, and where it has the potential to go. Doyle Brunson is a living legend in every sense of the word.