Doyle Brunson

Doyle Brunson has many claims to poker greatness. ‘Texas Dolly’ was the first player to win $1million from tournament play, he is one of only three players to take his World Series of Poker bracelet wins into double figures and in 2006, Bluff magazine named him as their most influential force in poker.

Add to this the fact that he is one of five players to have won the WSOP main event and a World Poker Tour title, one of four players to have won back-to-back titles in the WSOP main event and that his book, Super Systems, is seen as the bible of ‘How to’ books for poker which has inspired countless poker players since its first publication in 1978 and you are left with the impression of one of the greatest men to ever play the game.

As a youngster, Brunson was a talented basketball player and a promising long distance runner. Playing as part of the All-State Texas basketball team, he attracted the interest of the Minneapolis Lakers but an injury which broke his leg in two places ended his chances of becoming a professional athlete.

The broken leg of his youth continued to blight his life as he occasionally required the help of a crutch to walk more comfortably. In 1962, Brunson suffered a further health worry when he discovered a tumour in his neck. At the time his wife Louise was pregnant with their first child and despite surgeons declaring that the spread of the cancer had made it incurable and gave him just three months to live, they agreed to operate on him to prolong his life allowing him to see the birth of his daughter. After the operation, the doctors could not find a trace of the cancer and declared it a miracle. Louise was diagnosed with cancer afterwards and when she went for surgery, her tumour had also vanished.

Brunson’s interest in poker had begun before his accident but naturally he became more involved afterwards. He used the game to fund his way through education, gaining a master’s degree in Administrative Education from the Hardin-Simmons University. His first post-university job was as a business machines salesman but on his first day he got involved in a game of cards and earned more than a month’s pay in just a few hours.

This led to his decision become a professional poker player. In the 1950’s, however, poker was not a regulated game or a respected profession. Brunson and his friend Dwayne Hamilton travelled together to play games that were often run by organised crime groups and almost always illegal. Other players, such as Amarillo ‘Slim’ Preston joined them and they soon made their name as the Texas Rounders. Brunson was the leader of this group but his success at the table regularly went unrewarded as his opponents looked to claim back their money using their fists or by drawing their gun on him.

In the 70s, poker began to earn a bit of respect Brunson won his first WSOP title in 1976 when he won the main event. The following year he won three more events including the successful defence of his main event title. Another bracelet the following year led to him publishing his Super Systems book which Brunson feels was so successful in helping improve players’ games that he has lost more potential poker earnings than he made through book sales. The book was updated in 2004 and included contributions from other top players.

In 2005, Johnny Chan set a new record for WSOP bracelet wins when he claimed his tenth but within a week Brunson had equalled this feat with a win in the No Limit Shorthanded Texas Hold ‘em event. Two years later, Phil Hellmuth broke the record with his eleventh bracelet win which still stands.