Doyle Brunson, one of the most influential poker players of all time and twice world champion, died on Sunday at the age of 89.
Brian Balsbaugh, Brunson’s agent, posted a statement on Twitter from the family.
“It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our father, Doyle Brunson,” the statement read. “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 started playing seriously in Fort Worth, Texas, where he said the game was far tougher than the glossy, televised tournaments that are prevalent today.
“It was like the old west. Violence was rampant,” he told the Guardian in 2005, adding he had seen two people shot during games. “It was kind of a hangout for the hoodlums and gangsters of Texas and it was very, very volatile.”
Brunson, called the Godfather of Poker and also known as “Texas Dolly,” won 10 World Series of Poker tournaments – second only to Phil Hellmuth’s 16. He also captured world championships in 1976 and 1977 and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988. He won more than $6m in live earnings during his career.
He wrote Super System in 1979, one of the first books to delve into poker strategy. It created a lasting impact that professional and casual players used to improve their performances.
“The two most important things are a good sense of recall and a good understanding of people,” Brunson said when asked about the secret to success in poker. “You have to have a sixth sense, a kind of gut feeling that tells you what the other guy’s holding. That’s probably the thing that all the greats share.”
Tributes poured in from other poker players after Brunson’s death was announced. Five-time WSOP winner Scotty Nguyen tweeted that he “can’t believe this day has come – you will always be held high in our hearts, the man, the myth, the legend & THE GODFATHER of poker baby! Mr Brunson, you made poker what it is baby! thank you for what you give to all of us baby! RIP Mr Doyle Brunson THE GODFATHER OF POKER.”
Brunson continued to play at a high-level well into his 80s and said poker helped him feel young. “We don’t stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing,” Brunson said on a number of occasions.
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
Brunson is survived by his wife, Louise, and children Todd and Pamela. Todd followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a professional poker player and is also a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.
“The plan was for [Todd] to be a lawyer,” Brunson told the Guardian in 2005. “He was in this third year of college and I didn’t even know he played poker. Then he came home one summer and declared he was going to turn professional. His mother was very angry about it. And I pretended to be.”
