Doyle Brunson - Professional poker player and superstar

Doyle Brunson

Doyle Brunson, aka "Texas Dolly," is a legend in the game of poker. A two-time WSOP Main Event winner (1976 & 1977), Brunson has won ten championship bracelets to date. He was the first player to win a million dollar poker tournament, and is well known for his comprehensive book Super System, in which he chronicled his poker strategy. This book has influenced many players and is considered one of the definitive manuals for playing—and winning—at poker. In fact, the book became so popular that Brunson had to change his game strategy because other players had learned his secrets.

Born in Longworth, Texas, in 1933, Brunson began playing poker while attending college at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. When a knee injury ended his dream of playing professional basketball, he began earning money by playing poker. After earning a master’s degree in Administrative Education, Brunson took his only “regular” job, but gave it up shortly after receiving his first paycheck. Since he knew that he could earn more money playing poker, he took to the roads to play professionally. For years, he traveled around his home state of Texas with other professionals such as Amarillo Slim Preston and his mentor Johnny Moss.

After finding it difficult to join games in Texas, Brunson moved his wife and four children to Las Vegas. Today, he is known not only for his skills at playing tournament poker, but also for his skills at playing high-stake games—two entirely different worlds that few players are able to successfully navigate. He also can be found playing online at his poker site, Doyle's Room

Doyle Brunson Fun Facts and Finishes

While in college, Brunson was drafted to play professional basketball for the Minnesota Lakers until a knee injury ended his career.
The "Doyle Brunson" is a ten and a two of any suit, which are the pocket cards that won him the WSOP in both 1976 and 1977.
His son, Todd Brunson, is also a very successful professional player.
In 2005, he won his 10th WSOP gold bracelet
In 2004, he was inducted into the Poker Walk of Fame
In 2004, he won The Legends of Poker World Poker Tour event

World Series of Poker bracelets

Year	Tournament	Prize (US$)
1976	$10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship	$230,000
1977	$5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw	$80,250
1977	$10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship	$340,000
1977	$1,000 Seven-Card Stud Split	$62,500
1978	$5,000 Seven-Card Stud	$68,000
1979	$600 Mixed Doubles (with Starla Brodie)	$4,500
1991	$2,500 No Limit Hold'em	$208,000
1998	$1,500 Seven-Card Razz	$93,000
2003	$2,000 H.O.R.S.E.	$84,080
2005	$5,000 No Limit Shorthanded Texas Hold'em (6 players per table)	$367,800