Name: Doyle Brunson
DOB: August 10, 1933
Alias: Texas Dolly
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Nationality: American
Total Winnings (as of Jan '07):
$5,100,000 (live tournament)
$5,100,000 (live tournament)
Notable accomplishments:
Ten World Series of Poker bracelets
One of four players to consecutively win the WSOP main event (1976 and 1977).
One of five players to win both the WSOP main event and a Word Poker Tour title.
Named the #1 most influential force in the Poker world by BLUFF magazine in January 2006.
Ten World Series of Poker bracelets
One of four players to consecutively win the WSOP main event (1976 and 1977).
One of five players to win both the WSOP main event and a Word Poker Tour title.
Named the #1 most influential force in the Poker world by BLUFF magazine in January 2006.
WSOP Highlights:
Bracelet(s): 10
Money finishes: 29
Highest ITM main event finish Winner: 1976, 1977
*ITM = in the money, To place high enough in a poker tournament to get prize money.
Bracelet(s): 10
Money finishes: 29
Highest ITM main event finish Winner: 1976, 1977
*ITM = in the money, To place high enough in a poker tournament to get prize money.
WPT Highlights:
Titles: 1
Final tables: 3(+1)
Money finishes: 4
Titles: 1
Final tables: 3(+1)
Money finishes: 4
Doyle Brunson Biography
Brunson started playing poker in illegegal games in Exchange Street, and Fort Worth Texas. Eventually Brunson and his friend Dwayne Hamilton began to travel to other location in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana to play in bigger games. It was at these games that Doyle Brunson met fellow professional poker players Amarillo Slim and Sailor Roberts. These illegal games were often run by criminals and members of organized crime families and the rules were not always enforced. In fact Doyle has admitted that he has had a gun pulled on him, robbed and beat up on more than one occasion. Unfortunatly Doyle had few options at the time as playing poker was not a socially accepted profession.Eventually Hamilton moved back to Fort Worth leaving Doyle and Amarillo Slim and Sailor Roberts to team up and travel together. These guys in Doyle's words "gambled on just about everything" including poker and golf. After six years of travelling around together they decided to pool thier money and eventually took their first serious trip to Las Vegas. Unfortunately lady luck was not on their side and they lost all of their money (a six figure amount). After this trip the team split up but remained friends. Brunson eventually settled in Las Vegas to be close to the big games.
Doyle's nickname was originally supposed to be "Texas Dolye" but it was misread by Jimmy Snyder as "Texas Dolly" and of course it immediately stuck. Many fellow Poker Pros simply refer to Brunson as "Dolly".
Brunson's name is so senomimuss with poker that he has two Hold'em hands named after him. The first hand to bear his name is a ten and a two of any suit. Brunson has used this hand twice to win the No Limit Hold'em event at the WSOP in 1976 and 1977. In both cases the completed a full house, and was considered the underdog in the final hand. Because he came from behind, had the same hand in both cases it was only right that this hand be named after him. The other hand known as the "Doyle Brunson" (especially in texas) is an Ace and Queen of any suit. Doyle has stated that he never uses, or tries never to use this hand, howver on numerous occasions Brunson has been seen playing this exact hand.
Brunson is a regular in the biggest poker gme in the world. Held in "Bobby's Room" at the Bellagio this game is a $400/$8000 limit mixed poker game. Doyle can also be found at many of the biggest poker tournaments around the world. In 2003 he won his 9th bracelet, 2004 he finished 53rd out of 2,576 in the No LimitTexas Hold'em Championship event. 2004 also saw Brunson win the Legends of Poker World Poker Tour even (earning him a cool $1.1 million) and a fourth place finish in the WPT's first championship event. In 2005 Brunson tied Chan for the most bracelets won (10). Chan had just weeks before set a new record for the most bracelets won.
Brunson has not only been success on the felt but he has also been successful in writing. His book Super/System is considered to one fo the most authoritative poker books available. Super/System was written in 1978 and gave the ordinary poker player an insight into how the pro's play and win. In 2004 an updated Super/System 2 was released with insightes not only from Brunson but from other top poker players like Bobby Baldwin, Mike Caro, David Sklansky,Chip Reese, and Joey Hawthorne.
World Series of Poker Bracelets
Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
---|---|---|
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 |