10 World Series of Poker bracelets, wrote Super System
There has never been, nor will there ever be, anyone quite like Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson. At 72, he is the Sultan, the high priest, the Steston-hatted Jedi Master of poker. He wrote the book on the phenomenon that is Texas Hold 'em. Literally. It's called Super/System: A Course in Power Poker.
Brunson's life reads like a Hollywood screenplay. Raised dirt poor in rural Texas, he was a natural athlete who went to college on both a basketball and track scholarships. His NBA career with the then-Minneapolis Lakers ended before it began when he shattered his leg in a factory accident. The leg never did heal properly, and to this day, his place at a poker table is easily spotted by the crutch leaning nearby.
In order to survive in Texas after the accident, Brunson took up the game that would prove to be his lifeblood - poker. He got very good, very fast. He became the star of the infamous band of traveling poker sharks, the Texas Rounders. He was the first of the high-stakes hotel poker players in Las Vegas, introducing his “power poker” to the world. He has won a record 10 World Series of Poker events, including the two back-to-back Main Events.
Today, 'ol Dolly is sharper than ever and still eliminating the competition. In 2005, he won both his 10th WSOP bracelet, and hundreds of thousands more in tournament play.
Generally speaking, as players get older, they tend to lose both their nerve and their skill. But Doyle just keeps getting better. And he'll be the first to tell you, it's not what you're dealt that matters, but how you play the cards.
