Doyle Brunson: The Godfather of Poker Who Survived It All

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Xenia Luch

26 July 2023

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Doyle Brunson

From the court to the table: Doyle was a master of both. For half a century, he shaped the history of poker & earned over $6 million. He claimed 10 WSOP bracelets and 2 WSOP main events. His name was Doyle Brunson, and he was the Godfather of Poker.

Top 5 Poker Wins of Doyle Brunson

Date

Tournament

Buy-in

Opponent

Prize

Aug 28, 2004

WPT

$5,000

Lee Watkinson

$1,198,260

Jun 29, 2005

WSOP No Limit Hold’Em

$5,000

Minh Ly

$367,800

Dec 12, 2005

WPT

$15,000

Rehne Pedersen

$563,485

May 10, 1977

WSOP Main Event

$10,000

Gary Berland

$340,000

May 10, 1976

WSOP Main Event

$10,000

Jesse Alto

$220,000

The Rise of a Basketball Star from Texas

Doyle Brunson was a Texas kid who grew up in the late 30’s, 1933. He was a natural athlete who had a bright future in the Minneapolis Lakers, until fate intervened. One day, while working at a gypsum plant, a heavy metal object fell on his leg. Unfortunately, this severe injury ended his athletic career. That’s when he moved to Vegas.

Doyle Brunson - basketball

The Godfather

By the time he was in his late 20s, Doyle had mastered no-limit Hold’Em and got his poker name – The Godfather.

It was the 1950s, and poker was illegal in most places. He had to sneak into underground games in Texas & Louisiana, where anything could happen.

Once, he saw a man getting shot in the head at the table and his brains flying everywhere. It was a horror show. Doyle also had to watch his back, because there were some shady characters who wanted to rob him or cheat him.

But he wasn’t alone in this wild ride. He made some friends in fellow poker outlaws like Amarillo Slim and Sailor Roberts.

Texas Dolly

Another Brunson’s famous nickname came from a mistake by Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder (American sports commentator). Snyder was supposed to announce Brunson as “Texas Doyle,” but incorrectly pronounced the first name as Dolly. It stuck and many of Brunson’s fellow top pros now simply refer to Brunson as “Dolly.”

Doyle Brunson Hand

In 1976, Doyle Brunson made his mark at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). He won his 1st bracelet in a Deuce to Seven Draw event, beating Jesse Alto with a 10-2 hand. He was 43 years old and had just created the “Doyle Brunson” hand.

Doyle Brunson win

The next year, he did it again. He defended his WSOP title by crushing Gary ‘Bones’ Berland with the same full house of tens over deuces. Berland had 8-5 and no chance.

Doyle Brunson and Stu Ungar
Poker legends Doyle Brunson (left) and Stu Ungar (right)

The King of the WSOP

Doyle Brunson and Minh Ly

No one could stop Doyle Brunson at the WSOP. He had 9 bracelets and over $2.9 million to his name. He wanted one more. In 2005, he faced Minh Ly in a No-Limit Hold’Em event.

Ly had a massive chip lead, but Doyle was hungry for this bracelet. So he made an epic comeback, won $1.2 million and his 10th bracelet.

Did you know?

  • He made history by becoming the 1st player to win $1 million+ in poker tournaments.
  • He survived cancer. Twice. In 1962, Doyle Brunson was given a death sentence. He had melanoma, a killer skin cancer. Doctors said he had 3 months left. He said no and miraculously survived.
  • 36 years later, he faced cancer again. He went under the knife again and removed the enemy.
YearCancer TypeTreatmentOutcome
1962MelanomaSurgerySurvived
1998Prostate

The Final Chapter Doyle

Brunson never stopped playing poker. Even in his late 80s, he could still crush the high-stakes tournaments.

Doyle Brunson's money

His last live victory came in 2018, when he beat a field of 95 players to win a $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Championship for $259,670. The same year, Doyle announced his retirement from poker. 

Doyle Brunson - WSOP

He once said: “Poker is a hard way to make an easy living”.

But Doyle made an easy living out of a hard way.

On May 14, 2023, he passed away at the age of 89. He left behind a legacy that will never be matched. He was Doyle Brunson, the Godfather of Poker.