Doyle Brunson, The Most Famous Poker Player In History, Has Died
The Godfather of Poker Doyle Brunson has passed away at age 89.
The poker community suffered a tremendous loss on May 14 with the passing of legendary Doyle Brunson, according to Deadline. Known by the nickname “Texas Dolly,” or more famously, the “Godfather of Poker,” Brunson was 89 at the time of his passing in Las Vegas. But although he has cashed in his chips on this lifetime, Doyle Brunson was not one to fold under pressure, and we’re here to celebrate his legacy as the man who helped popularize the game globally.
Doyle Brunson didn’t start out as a poker legend, but it was evident that he was destined for great things early in his life. In fact, when he attended Sweetwater High School in the 1950s, he was an upcoming track and field star, and boasted a 4:43 mile. During his college days, he aspired to be a professional basketball player for the NBA, but a knee injury caused him to change his plans and career trajectory.
But even before his injury, Doyle Brunson was quite good at playing five-card draw. His injury, which sometimes required him to use crutches on occasion allowed him more time to focus on poker, though he still wasn’t playing full time. After graduating with a Master’s Degree in Administrative Education, he briefly worked as a sales representative, selling business machines for the Burroughs Corporation.
Everything changed for Doyle Brunson when he was invited to play some seven-card stud, and ended up winning more during this game than he would take home in a month as a salesman. In other words, it was evident that Brunson knew how to play the game, and he knew how to play it well. He left the Burroughs Corporation to pursue poker full-time, which was a gamble in and of itself.
In the early stages of Doyle Brunson’s poker career, he played illegal games that were often run by organized crime groups. But by 1970, Doyle settled in Las Vegas, where he would participate in the much more legitimate World Series of Poker (WSOP), an institution that he would compete in every year since its inception.
Brunson certainly cut his teeth (and his fair share of card decks) during these early stages, he cemented his legacy with the WSOP, winning 10 bracelets throughout his career. Doyle Brunson’s total cash winnings across these 10 bracelets was a whopping $1,538,130.
It was in 1978 that Doyle Brunson self-published Super/System, one of the first books on poker strategy. Super/System, which is considered by many to be the most authoritative book on the subject, transformed poker forever by allowing casual players to get a look at how professionals played and won. Though this book was instrumental to the mainstream success of poker in many ways, it probably cost Brunson a fair amount of money in potential winnings considering the book helped so many aspiring players level up on their poker skills.
Although we lost a poker legend with Doyle Brunson’s passing, he left behind a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire players for generations to come. Considering that he literally wrote the book on poker, it’s safe to say that Brunson will continue to be a household name for poker players, and they will continue to learn from him thanks to his contribution.
