Super/System Author and Legend

Doyle Brunson, aka "Texas Dolly," is a the Tiger Woods of poker. WSOP champion in 1976 and 1977 Doyle Brunson is widely regarded by many as the best poker player of all time. His record of 10 WSOP bracelets (shared with Johnny Chan) was shattered in 2007 when Phil Hellmuth won his 11th WSOP bracelet. He is best known for his comprehensive book Super System, in which he chronicled his poker strategy. This book is a must read for all aspiring Poker players and is considered one of the definitive manuals for playing—and winning—at poker. In fact, the book became so popular that Brunson had to change his game strategy because other players had learned his secrets.

Born in Longworth, Texas, in 1933, Brunson began playing poker while attending college at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. When a knee injury ended his dream of playing professional basketball, he began earning money by playing poker. After earning a master’s degree in Administrative Education, Brunson took his only “regular” job, but gave it up shortly after receiving his first paycheck. Since he knew that he could earn more money playing poker, he took to the roads to play professionally. For years, he traveled around his home state of Texas with other professionals, namely Amarillo Slim Preston and his mentor Johnny Moss.

After finding it difficult to find games to join in Texas, Brunson moved his wife and four children to Las Vegas. He is regularly to be found at the Bellagio in Las Vegas playing High Stakes Poker with the best players in the game. Today, he is known not only for his skills at playing tournament poker, but also for his skills at playing high-stake games—two entirely different worlds that few players are able to successfully navigate. Doyle Brunson proved that age is no factor in poker by winning the 2004 Legends of Poker World Poker Tour Event collecting $1,198,290 in what was the biggest ever WPT field at the time.

Fun Facts 

• While in college, Brunson was drafted to play professional basketball for the Minnesota Lakers until a knee injury ended his career.
• Holds 10 gold WSOP bracelets, a record he shares with Johnny Chan, but second to Phill Hellmuth. 
• In 2004, he won The Legends of Poker World Poker Tour event
• Authored Super/System, often called the poker bible
• Has nearly $5 million in tournament winnings
• Doyle, along with Gus Hansen and James Gardner were the first 3 players to be inducted into the WPT Poker Walk of Fame.
• The "Doyle Brunson" is a full house – tens full of deuces, which is the exact hand that won him the WSOP in both 1976 and 1977.
• Won his first two World Series of Poker events with a 10-2 hand