Texas Holdem Legend Doyle Brunson
For professional poker pro, Doyle Brunson, all that glitters is gold. However, “Texas Dolly,” active and living in Las Vegas, is not blinded by his more than five decades of professional poker fame, ten World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, Texas Holdem domination and induction into the Poker Hall of Fame (1988). Nor does he forget his Sweetwater, Texas farm roots, where happiness trumped money during his early Depression era years.
Doyle Brunson (born 1933) began playing poker in college to support himself after a knee injury ended his aspirations of being a pro athlete. He joined games at UT Austin, A&M, and TT, Lubbock. He earned his masters degree in administrative education, but it became clear that playing cards would potentially net him more than teachers’ pay.
There were no fancy cardrooms in the 1950s. Brunson graduated from small college poker games, to bigger private roadhouse competitions with local outlaws in less-friendly parts of Fort Worth. He moved on to bigger stakes in downtown crannies, and became pretty good at “one-dollar ante.” Doyle Brunson made money, avoided “the law,” and tried not to be hijacked. He picked up traveling partners Sailor Roberts (1975 World Poker Champion) and Amarillo Slim. Together they watched each other’s backs and expanded their strategies and skills in their rooms after nights gambling.
In writings for the Gambling Times, Doyle Brunson stressed the importance of gamblers conducting themselves responsibly and honorably.
Brunson learned Texas Holdem in the ‘50’s long before it became the phenomenon today from a bootlegger at a big game south of Ft. Worth. To say he took to the game is a serious understatement. He studied strategy and perfected his technique to make No-Limit Texas Holdem poker into what we know it to be today, advocating “gambling” as a means and strategy for doing well in the game. Brunson is also among the small group of professional poker players credited for introducing Texas Holdem to Las Vegas in the ‘60s.
Doyle Brunson is an anomaly having been a truly “accessible celebrity.”
He solidified his place in 1976 by winning the $10,000 No-Limit World Championship. He repeated that pattern in 1977 winning the 7-Card Championship bracelet ($5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw, $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em, and $1,000 7-Card Stud Split), and continued to add four more bracelets to his collection in the following 6 years.
Jimmy “the Greek” Snyder unintentionally gave Doyle his distinct moniker of “Dolly,” which now garners instant elite recognition whenever mentioned in poker company. Snyder misread “Texas Doyle” printed on a card given to him to introduce Doyle Brunson at a professional poker event. Instead, Snyder introduced him as “Texas Dolly.” Doyle’s competitors wouldn’t let him shake it. Today “Dolly” refers to only one man.
Doyle, with writings of renowned poker celebs of the 1970s, initially blew the lid off the mysteries behind professional poker, its players, strategies and statistics. Each author wrote on one of the kinds of poker: seven-card stud (expert, David “Chip” Reese), high-low split (David Slanski), draw poker (Mike Caro), and low-ball (Jimmy Hawthorne). Doyle’s book was obviously well received by all except professional players who saw it as encouraging too many amateurs to enter the arena. As a result, Super System (1978) caused the old games of Texas Holdem and seven card stud to morph in order to remain professionally competitive. This was perhaps his greatest contribution to the game. Super System is often referred to as the “poker Bible.” He hasn’t won since.
Doye’s boo, According to Doyle, is a collection of articles he wrote for the Gambling Times. The book’s “Forward” is written by Mike Caro, who says, "Brunson is the greatest poker player who ever lived, and this book shows why."
DoylesRoom.com is the only 21st century online tournament poker cardroom endorsed by Doyle Brunson. It advertises one of the largest selections of online poker tournaments and casino games globally.
Doyle has brought poker from the illegal roadhouse gamblers of the 1950s, through the mathematics- and statistically-focused players of the 1980s-1990s, to reality TV players/viewers and internet of the 21st century. Son, Todd, is a successful player in his own right.