With more than 50 years of professional poker experience, he was one of the game’s biggest stars – but what was Doyle Brunson’s net worth?
Born in 1933, Brunson was a two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion. He also authored several books on poker as well as being inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
Doyle Brunson was the first player to win $1 million in poker tournaments. With ten WSOP bracelets, he was tied for second place on the all-time list throughout his career.
He retired from tournament poker in 2018, having earned an enormous fortune from the game.
Doyle Brunson Bio
Doyle Frank Brunson was born in Longworth, Texas in August 1933. One of three children, he attended Sweetwater High School, where he was a gifted athlete.
He won the 1950 Texas Interscholastic Track Meet’s one-mile event, with a time of 4:43. Receiving offers from many colleges, he opted for Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas.
With interest from NBA side the Minneapolis Lakers, Brunson was close to a career in professional basketball.
But a career-ending injury forced him to retire from competitive sports. With his dream of playing in the NBA over, he had to find other outlets for his competitive spirit.
He graduated in 1954 with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in administrative education, and hoped to become a school principle.
Brunson had been playing poker since before his injury, but started to play more regularly afterwards.
He took a job with Burroughs Corporation as a salesman, and was invited to play in a seven-card stud game on his first day.
After winning more than a month’s salary, he soon left the job to become a professional poker player.
Doyle Brunson’s Gambling Career
Brunson began playing in illegal games in Fort Worth with friend Dwayne Hamilton. They travelled round Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, playing in bigger and bigger games.
Often run by criminals, these illegal games were renowned for violence, and Brunson recalled once seeing another player shot and killed at another table during a game.
Brunson and Hamilton would pool their money for gambling, betting on golf, poker and “just about everything”.
They eventually made the trip to Las Vegas, but lost almost six figures during the visit.
Hamilton moved back to Forth Worth, while Brunson settled in Las Vegas. The two would remain friends but stopped playing as partners.
Brunson was a regular player at the World Series of Poker since its inception in 1970. He played in the main event every year since then, winning the title in 1976 and 1977.
He authored Super/System, widely regarded as one of the most authoritative poker books ever written. It offered first-hand insight into how professionals played, in such detail that Brunson believed it probably cost him a lot of money.
Doyle Brunson Net Worth
Brunson continued playing in the biggest poker games in the world throughout his career. By the time of his death in 2023, his total live tournament winnings exceeded $6,100,000.
Doyle Brunson’s net worth was believed to be around $75 million at its peak. The legendary poker star passed away in May 2023, aged 89.
He left a legacy like few others in professional gambling. Two hands in Texas hold ’em have been named for him.
The holding of ten-deuce bears Brunson’s name after he won the No Limit Hold ‘Em event at the WSOP two years running, in 1976 and 1977.
And the other hand, known as a “Doyle Brunson” is that of ace and queen of any suit. This is because, in his own words, he “tried never to play this hand”.
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