Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson
Doyle Brunson is one of the true legends of poker. In fact he was really the first celebrity poker player. He got his start playing in illegal games in Texas but grew into the greatest tournament player of all time. In fact it was Doyle Brunson and the success that he had in the early World Series of Poker events that made tournament poker the immensely popular event that it is today. He really did change the face of the game.
Doyle Brunson was born and raised in Texas where he was an outstanding basketball player when he was young. When he was in college he was considered one of the top five players in the world. He was poised for a career as a professional player when disaster struck. In order to pay his way through college Brunson was working a job in a warehouse. Unfortunately one day at work some materials that he was moving tipped over breaking his leg in two places and damaging his knee. That was the end of his basketball career. Brunson did however stick it out at college and ultimately earned an MBA.
Although he had played poker in a small way at college he started to become a much more serious player after his injury. When he graduated he decided to become a professional player. He would travel around Texas looking for games. This was a dangerous way to make a living, not only was gambling illegal in Texas but most of the people he played with were pretty shady characters. Nevertheless Brunson not only survived but he thrived and eventually he found his way to the gambling center of Las Vegas.
It was when he was in Las Vegas that the career of Doyle Brunson, not to mention the popularity of poker took off. Up until then poker was a game that was played in back rooms by shady guys. However when he was playing in casinos Brunson started to attract a following and people would come to watch him play. This ultimately led to the creation of the World Series of Poker as a way to capitalize on this interest. Doyle Brunson dominated the early years of the WSOP.
Over the years Texas Dolly Brunson has become one of the greatest tournament players of all time. He set a record for WSOP bracelets which he still holds. Really he was the first poker celebrity and has had a big hand in making the game what it is today. He wrote a book on how to play poker which quickly became a best seller and is widely regarded as the bible of poker. Today even as he approaches his eightieth birthday Doyle Brunson continues to play in tournaments. He remains one of the most popular players in the world and has even had some success against players much younger than himself.
