Poker legend Doyle Brunson is no stranger to starring on poker shows such as High Stakes Poker, but “Texas Dolly” is set to appear on our screens in a different guise. The makers of the Michael Jordan hit The Last Dance are filming a Brunson documentary.
Filming began last month but there is currently no release date. Brunson informed his 389,600 Twitter followers.
“They are making a documentary about my life now. It has been going on for a month and is going to be a lot longer. Same group that did The Last Dance is doing it.”
Poker fans welcomed the news because Brunson is a living legend of the game, and one of the most interesting players to have ever picked up cards. He is now 88-years-old, and is feared and respected in equal measure.
Living Legend Doyle Brunson
Brunson was born in Longworth, Texas, on August 10, 1933, one of three children. Sports were Brunson’s strength, basketball in particular. A career in the NBA looked like his most likely career path, but a serious knee injury ended those hopes and dreams.
Five-card draw was the game that Brunson played as a youngster before he won more than a month’s salary playing seven-card stud. That was the catalyst for a long and illustrious career in poker.
Playing poker was almost frowned upon when Brunson first started out, and this limited him to grinding in illegal games. The now Poker Hall of Fame member recalls having a gun pulled on him several times in addition to several robberies and beatings.
Cash games are where Brunson shines. He is thought to have won tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars during his career. However, he is no slouch in poker tournaments, with $6,176,737 in winnings and ten WSOP bracelets.
He won two bracelets in 1976, the $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw ($80,250) and the $10,000 Main Event ($230,000). He won another two bracelets in 1977: the $1,000 Seven-Card Stud and back-to-back Main Events. Amazingly, Brunson won both main events holding ten-deuce, hence lending his name to the holding’s nickname.
Slowing Down in the Tournament World and Retirement
Brunson won his last WSOP bracelet in 2005. His tournament volume dropped, mostly limiting himself to televised fast-paced events, although he did continue playing higher stakes WSOP tournaments.
He retired from tournament poker after the 2018 WSOP where he finished sixth in the $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Championship for $43,963.
Several health issues, including cancer surgery, affected his decision. Furthermore, the long hours of major tournaments took their toll on the ageing legend.
There is an outside chance we will see Brunson at the 2021 WSOP. Photographer Drew Amato tweeted a photo of Brunson in action, stating “Crazy it’s been 3 years since I shot these photos! Weird with no WSOP right now @TexDolly”
“I’m planning on playing a few select tournaments in the WSOP this year,” Texas Dolly replied.
What Features in the Documentary?
The content of the untitled documentary about the “Godfather of Poker” is under wraps. It will be epic viewing regardless of what content is put out there.
Brunson has led a life that could easily be a Hollywood movie. Expect to see plenty about his early life, his career as a Texas road gambler, and more poker you can shake a stick at.
The documentary should give fans an insight into how Brunson lives his life away from the tables. He is a private man, a family man, but he never shares photos or details about where or how he lives.
It will be amazing to learn more about his relationship with children, who both play poker. Pamela has almost $90,000 in winnings, while Todd has $4,470,430 and a WSOP bracelet.
Last, we are eager to learn more about Louise, his wife of 59-years. They say there is a strong woman behind every successful man, and Louise has stood by Brunson through thick and thin, the highs and the lows.
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Brad Johnson
You name the game, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Brad has either played it or placed a wager on it! Brad calls himself a natural gambler, and someone who gains as much enjoyment from writing about the crazy game of poker as he does playing it.