Search
08 Sept 2025
Search
08 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Doyle Brunson, one of the most influential poker players of all time and a two-time world champion, has died aged 89.
Brunson’s agent Brian Balsbaugh 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.
Passing this on:
“It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our father, Doyle Brunson. 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…
— Brian Balsbaugh (@Balsbaugh) May 15, 2023
“He was a beloved Christian man, husband, father and grandfather. We’ll have more to say over the coming days as we honour his legacy. Please keep Doyle and our family in your prayers. May he rest in peace.”
Brunson, called the Godfather of Poker and also known as Texas Dolly, won 10 World Series of Poker (WSOP) 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 wrote a book called Super System in 1979, which was one of the first books to delve into poker strategy and created a lasting impact that helped bring many others to the game.
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.”
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 pic.twitter.com/TiwzjQfhCi
— Scotty Nguyen (@TheScottyNguyen) May 15, 2023
His influence carried beyond poker.
“This one is a heartbreaker,” actor James Woods tweeted. “Doyle Brunson, the greatest poker player who ever lived, has cashed in his chips.
“Doyle was so kind and helpful to me. He was gracious to my late dear brother and every friend I introduced him to. A gentleman and a genuine legend.”
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
