The last of a dying breed, a poker player like no other
Poker legend Doyle Brunson passed away on Sunday. He was a 10-time World Series of Poker Champion and one of the most influential poker players in the world.
Texas Dolly Folds for the Last Time
Doyle Brunson will forever be remembered in the annals of poker lore as one of the greatest to ever play the game, and the consummate gentleman while doing it. He passed away at the age of 89 and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988 before most of you were even alive.
Rest in Peace to the Biggest Legend of Them All. Thank you for being the consummate player and gentleman. No one will ever fill your seat. pic.twitter.com/riE35PCrQh
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) May 15, 2023
He got the nickname, Texas Dolly, from his good friend, Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder, who meant to refer to him as Texas Doyle. But in retrospect, it was an apt nickname, because if there was ever a man whose equable disposition belied his ruthless instincts around the felt, it was Doyle Brunson.
A wide smile and a 10-gallon cowboy hat were staples of the avuncular image he portrayed but his poker-playing prowess was far more complex and his first book, “Super System”, is considered the bible of poker even today when online gambling is vastly available.
Legend
There will never be another Doyle Brunson
Doyle was @RadioAmanda favorite player by a mile
He will be missed by many, the Godfather of Poker#RIPDoyle pic.twitter.com/Y88BsrDhhP
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) May 15, 2023
Brian Balsbaugh, Brunson’s agent, released a statement from the family that said, “It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our father, Doyle Brunson. He was a beloved Christian man, husband, father, and grandfather. We’ll have more to say over the coming days as we honor his legacy. Please keep Doyle and our family in your prayers. May he rest in peace.”
Brunson amassed more than $6 million in live tournament earnings including 10 WSOP bracelets, tying him for second all-time with fellow legends, Phil Ivey and Johnny Chan, while trailing only Phil Hellmuth who leads the pack with 16, along with 26 WSOP final tables and a World Poker Tour victory.
I’m so lucky I had the opportunity to truly understand Doyle’s greatness by sitting across the table from him.
“Legend” feels inadequate.
We don’t have a word for what Doyle Brunson is to poker.
Rest in Peace ♥️ pic.twitter.com/IjCDrNG96c
— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) May 15, 2023
He last cashed at the final table of the $10,000 2-7 lowball event but it only punctuated a career that saw him win back-to-back WSOP main events in 1976 and 1977 while making the final table of that event three more times, making poker news headlines all over the world.
We have witnessed the last of a dying breed. A man who religiously studied his opponents and took note of every nuance while maintaining a mental library of their poker mechanics. There were no algorithms or AI to assist Doyle back in his heyday.
Doyle Brunson was the product of another generation who assessed character, and not formulas but made the leap to today’s more sterile, and less colorful, poker environment without missing much of a beat. And he did it all with the grace, charm, and class of a true Texas gentleman.
Godspeed, Mr. Brunson.
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