Doyle Brunson: How Adversity Led to the Most Legendary Poker Career in History

Doyle Brunson: How Adversity Led to the Most Legendary Poker Career in History

Longevity in professional sports is respected. Whether we are talking about football, basketball, athletics or poker. As for the latter, the world hardly knows a man more experienced in professional poker than Doyle Brunson. The American was born in 1933, and his residence will hardly surprise you – Las Vegas, Nevada. Now retired, Doyle has been with the guild for over 50 years. He spent more than half a century of his life at professional tournaments and tables. And how!

Two-time champion in the most prestigious tournament of the World Series of Poker, won a total of 10 PSP bracelets and participated in 26 final tables. Brunson is the first person to win over $1 million in poker tournaments. At 84, he reached his last final table in a World Series of Poker tournament. At 71, he broke the record for the oldest Poker Tour champion. With such accomplishments, it's no surprise that the sports legend has been inducted into the Hall of Fame and is the author of several books.

Everything about the Texas-born millionaire could have been different, if again glamorous. As a high school student, Brunson was an impressive basketball talent. He received offers from many colleges in the country, but chose to stay in his home state of Texas. Later, the Minneapolis Lakers of the National Basketball Association showed interest in him, but a serious injury ended his career.

And this turns out to be as much a tragedy as it is luck. Brunson's total poker winnings are $6.2 million. An amount that would have been much greater had he been born later than 33 AD. Throughout his career, Texas Dolly has shown killer instinct and a natural talent for the game. Over the years, Doyle has played thousands, if not millions, of hands. This makes him a person with unique experience and legendary status. Along with pros like Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Johnny Moss, Phil Hellmuth and others, he is considered one of the greatest professional poker players in history.