Brunson Poker Doyle

admin  4/11/2022
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In the second of a 10-part series, the Paul Phua Poker School recalls how 10-2 became the luckiest hand in World Series of Poker history

Doyle Brunson Poker Strategy

With the sheer number of hands that have been played during all the successive World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournaments, you would think that anything could happen. But of all the unlikely strokes of fortune over nearly 50 years of the WSOP, there cannot be anything to rival Doyle Brunson taking down the championship two years running – with the very same lucky hand!

There's not a lot that Doyle Brunson hasn't lived through, and 'Texas Dolly' as he's known is one of a number of poker players voicing their concerns about the Coronavirus on social media. Play Online Poker Check out our new Online Poker section which hosts 5 of the best online poker rooms, each of which has a great sign up bonus and huge value promotions for DoyleBrunson.com players. The life of Doyle Brunson – nicknamed the Godfather of Poker – has been an extra ordinary one. From the basketball court – yes, really – to the poker felt, the man who became known as.

Who is Doyle Brunson?

Doyle Brunson, nicknamed “Texas Dolly” or “The Godfather of Poker”, is one of the last of the old poker greats still standing – or at least sitting, since you’ll often see him in a motorised chair these days. He’s 83 years old, and has been plagued for most of that time by the bad knee that ended his youthful dream of becoming a professional basketball player.
Basketball’s loss is poker’s gain. Brunson has won 10 WSOP bracelets, and his poker strategy book Super/System, originally self-published in 1978, became the bible for a whole generation of poker players. In 2006, after Super/System 2 was published, Brunson was voted by Bluff Magazine the most influential force in the world of poker.

1976: Doyle Brunson wins the WSOP Main Event

In the 1976 WSOP Main Event, Doyle Brunson was heads-up with a player called Jesse Alto. Unlike Brunson, Alto was a keen amateur rather than a professional: his day job was as a car dealer. As a result, he had not fully learned to keep cool in tight spots, and Brunson said he was looking to exploit that weakness.
Jesse Alto bet out with A-J, an excellent starting hand when heads-up. Brunson called with 10-2 suited. The flop came A-J-10, giving Alto two pair. Brunson went all-in with the weaker hand, Alto of course called.
The story of the 1976 WSOP could have been about how an amateur car dealer bested the world’s top pros… but the poker gods decided otherwise. In one of the worst bad beats in Main Event history, Brunson caught runner-runner 2s on the turn and river to make a full house!

1977: Doyle Brunson wins the WSOP Main Event again – with the same hand!

They say lightning never strikes twice. Perhaps it does in Texas. The very next year, Doyle Brunson was defending his title heads-up against Gary “Bones” Berland when he looked down at 10-2 – again. Berland was dealt 8-5.
Yet again Brunson found himself behind when the flop of 10-8-5 gave him a pair, and his opponent two pair. Yet again, the 2 hit on the turn to give Brunson two pair, and this time he was ahead. When Berland pushed all-in, Brunson gladly called. Incredibly, Brunson yet again made a full house on the river when a 10 hit, and he was crowned world champion for the second year in a row.

The “Doyle Brunson hand”

Brunson Poker Doyle

There are many colourful names for different poker hands. Aces are nicknamed “bullets” or “pocket rockets”; pocket Kings are nicknamed “cowboys”; J-5 is known as “Jackson Five” or just “Motown”.
To this day, if you show 10-2, another player around the table is likely to nod wisely and say, “Ah, the ‘Doyle Brunson hand’”.

Who is Doyle Brunson? Poker player profile

  • Born in 1933, Doyle Brunson is nicknamed “Texas Dolly” or “the Godfather of Poker”
  • He is second equal in WSOP bracelets, with 10
  • He won back-to-back WSOP Main Events in 1976 and 1977
  • Doyle Brunson is the author of several books on poker including Super/System and Super/System 2

Read the first blog in our World Series of Poker mini series on how the World Series of Poker was born, and how “the Grand Old Man of Poker” earned his name.

Or come back tomorrow and read abouthow the tournament phrase “a chip and a chair” was born at the WSOP.

There are more than 250 million people actively playing poker worldwide. Doyle Brunson is a legend among them. Poker lovers all over the world have their own little secrets and rituals. They invest time in getting the skills and learning the game. Often, they go to great lengths to become invincible. That is all fine and admirable. However, we cannot help but ask what does it look like to achieve all that and have a career of more than 60 years and a movie-worthy epic life?

Meet Doyle Brunson, the first poker player who won a million in poker tournament. He is also so much more.

Personal Background

People refer to Doyle Brunson as the “Godfather of Poker”, or the “Texas Dolly”. This is the man with an extremely long career in playing poker. Let us just say that he was born on August 10th in 1933, and that he officially retired in 2018. If anyone managed to get to the core of this game, it was him.

There has been much talk about his autobiography that came out in 2012 titled “The Godfather of Poker”. You can still find it on Amazon or perhaps in one of your local bookshops. The book is certainly interesting in many ways. Above all, it tells the story of an extraordinary life, the ups and downs of one of the greatest poker players of all times. And we have to respect that.

Moreover, it is the story of a life that not too many of us would be able to live. There are reports that say he literally gambled for his life at gunpoint. He lived through the WWII as a boy. He is a cancer survivor, a stabbings and gunfights survivor, a winner.

Professional Career

A master of the bluff, as some say, reportedly earned more than $75 million in his professional career. Others claim that he won millions and lost millions only to win them back again. Mr. Brunson is the holder of 10 bracelets won in a 6-decade long career.

Doyle Brunson is famous for winning 2 World Series of Poker Main Events (in 1976 and 1977) with the final hand of 10-2. But how did it all start?

Brunson thought that he would be a professional basketball player. Until he suffered a knee injury which prevented him from playing. Admirably, he graduated with a master’s degree in administrative education. He purportedly became a salesman but switched to poker playing very soon. From seven-card stud to a Vegas jackpot, he tried it all.

Doyle Brunson Poker Tips

He was a regular at World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournaments ever since their inception in 1970. After his 2-years consecutive wins, he was always at the very top in the following tournaments.

Doyle Brunson System

Interestingly, Doyle Brunson published a book describing his system, while he was at the peak of his career. Consequently, he suffered some loses. However, his “Super System” 1 & 2 became famous and are nowadays considered classics.

Doyle Brunson Poker Hand

There are players who read them and say that some parts of the books are outdated. However, these are still very valuable insights to poker. Especially, given the fact there is no multitude of written material o the subject that you can study from.

Brunson

Therefore, if you get a chance to get your hands on these books, don’t miss it out. Some suggest reading the chapters on Stud variants and 2-7 Triple Draw carefully, as well as the material on No Limit Hold’Em and Omaha. The same as with any other mathematically based techniques, study the material and make sure to test it out in practice.

Doyle Brunson Poker Room

Doyle Brunson on Coming Out of the Comfort Zone

Brunson books tackle the topics of psychological aspects as well and how to deal with aggressive playing styles and pressure. More importantly, he also talks about the players in his era. “A completely different breed of people”, he said in the interview below, describing risk-taking players back in his time.

Online Poker Doyle Brunson

It makes us all think that people nowadays prefer to stay in their comfort zones. True risk takers always have better chances of making the greatest wins. It is good to remember it from time to time.

Doyle Brunson Poker Book Pdf

If you want to test your chances now, head right to our bet safe and crypto friendly Yabby casino and try some of our poker games. But do not forget to come back and listen to this interesting interview with the legend.