The Godfather of Poker: The Doyle Brunson Story

• #30 in Best Poker Books
• #30 in Best Gambling Books

11 Reviews

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I was planning a trip to Vegas and ordered this book - what a great book to read on the plane and during any downtime I might have. I had made it about half way through and happened to be playing poker in the beautiful Venetian Poker Room when they made an announcement that Doyle Brunson was in the poker room at table 40 discussing the new Pocket Casino hand held terminals that they have introduced at the Venetian. I ran back to my room at the Palazzo and then back to the Venetian Poker Room - and got there before Doyle left. As I walked up Todd (Doyle's son)said "Dad, we should have brought some books to sell!" They had not, and mine was the only copy around. I got him to autograph the book, got a chance to trade a few stories, and talked to Todd Brunson for quite a while.

Now, about the book.

This book traces Doyle's long history from a small cotton farm in West Texas, through his college days, where he was a star athlete with visions of the NBA, to his poker in the rough Ft. Worth area, to his days playing poker on the Texas circuit and finally his move to Las Vegas in the early 70's. He has seen 35 years of the poker world in Vegas and tells it like it was/is from his perspective, right up to this year.

If you are looking for a poker manual or how to book - don't buy this book - buy Super System or Super System II. If you are looking for a book that talks about all of today's hot TV poker players - read the internet - this book is not for you. But, if you want to get a feel for how today's poker world evolved and the various characters that made it what it is today - then this history through one man's eyes is the book for you!

As with many an autobiography, this book tends to put the author in the best light possible in the many situations in which he is involved - but what do you expect - it is an autobiography and the author has control of what he says about himself! (If you want an "open kimona book by a poker player - get "Check Raising the Devil")

I found the writing to be well done, the stories interesting, and the insights into the mind of a big time gambler to be first rate. The amount of money these guys will bet on poker, golf, or any number of "prop" bets will stagger you.

It is a really great read, as you ride along the trail with the man who is rightly called the Godfather of Poker.

In parting, from a proof reading standpoint - I only found two errors - on page 277 in the second paragraph, fourth line the line "slots of cash" should read "lots of cash." Also on Page 322 in the last full paragraph on the page, line seven "the while industry" should read "the whole industry." Two proof reading errors in a First Edition, and both of them words that pass "spell check" is not bad for today's book world - but I do wish they would actually have somebody read the final version before it goes to print - but, maybe that's just me. Picky, Picky, Picky!

I've heard many stories about Doyle Brunson's life, but I wasn't quite prepared for how remarkable (even insane) his journey has been from small-town America to playing poker full-time on the Texas Circuit in the 1950s and 1960s to worldwide fame as one of the toughest and most successful poker players ever.

The stories go all the way back to Brunson's days growing up in tiny Sweetwater, Texas through to the current day. A phenomenal athlete (basketball, baseball and track) as a child and teenager, Brunson's road to the NBA (the Lakers wanted to draft him #1) was tragically cut short when a load of sheetrock fell on his leg, breaking it in two places. I say tragically, but that single event from Brunson's college days helped determine the choices he made in his twenties. And those choices led to one of the most outrageous and successful gambling careers anyone has ever known.

The tales in this book meander and drag on a bit (thus my four-star instead of five-star rating), but that gives the story a homespun, unpretentious feel that reminds me of the man I've seen on TV and read about in interviews. The characters who populate this book are from a different age. Men mostly born poor who risked everything to con, cheat, steal and gamble their way through life. Some of them ended up wealthy, many of them met their end early in life. Brunson himself suffered beatings, muggings and all of sorts of harm (including going broke too many times to recount) on his way to fame and fortune.

Reading this autobiography, I had the feeling that they just don't make 'em like Doyle Brunson and his contemporaries anymore. Adventurous, fun-loving and willing to risk everything at the drop of a hat, Brunson comes across as quintessentially American in his toughness and determination to make it big.

If you are a Brunson, poker and/or gambling fan, I recommend you buy this book now. It is exciting, cautionary, hilarious and poignant all at once, and it reminded me how arduous but ultimately rewarding the road to success can be when you strike out on your own path.

This wonderful, must-read, classic tells true stories of many people I knew and played poker with including, World Champions: Johnny Moss, Amarillo Slim Preston, Sailor Roberts, Bill Smith, Jack "Treetop" Straus, and also, Pat Renfro, James "Tennessee Longgoodie" Roy, John "Austin Squatty" Jenkins, Doc Ramsey, Paul Harvey, Tuffy Hufstedler, George McGann, Joe Floyd, and Tooter Leyland, who robbed them. This absolute treasure is not just for poker players. I am finished with my Christmas shopping. All the Texans, meaning my list, get this fantastic story of a brilliant man, who has really had some experiences to share with one and all. Congrats, Doyle! The cheats, the cons, the robbers, the square players, the big scores, the dry pockets, and paying some dues out on the road. It is all here, and more. You will absolutely love this book. I'll lay you box car odds.
Texas Poker Wisdom

This book is a super read about Doyle Brunson and his life...never a dull moment at or away from the poker table.
My only complaint is with the quality of the book which is a hardback edition. The pages, longside, are not smoothly cut and have clumps of different lengths. Some of the pages even have small cuts in them. I notified Amazon about this and they sent me another copy, but it's in exactly the same condition.
I have never purchased a new book before with the pages not smoothly trimmed.
Cardoza publishing sent me an e-mail on 12/8/09 and said the pages were purposely done this way, it's called "rough trimming" and is not a flaw in the book. They state that feedback from customers has been both pro and con and if another printing is done, they will make a decision whether to continue with the "rough trimming" of the pages.

Thia is a great book for true poker players and fans. It is a great insight into how it all started and what real danger these guys faced.

I really enjoyed this book. The first few pages grab you by the throat and pull into Doyle's world right away. I could barely stand to put the book down, as I wanted to know what happened next. There are many things you will learn, that you did not know about Doyle or the poker world in general.

While the writing in the book is not polished or elegant, I would not have it any other way. I am glad that Doyle did not let his writings get edited in such a way that is no longer him talking. I know some of the chief complaints are that the book drones on from time to time, or that it has a lot of random tangents. That is what I like about it; it speaks as if you were conversing at a bar over a beer. The stories are matter-of-fact, with no icing on the cake. He just tells it as it is.

I highly recommend this book to any poker fan or even anyone who wants to hear an the story of one's interesting life.

This 'gentle'man was full of wonderful surprises. A great read and would make a very interesting movie! For all the poker lovers and even readers that have never played, it gives a whole new perspective on the game. Doyle Brunson is a charming, compasionate, and witty man. The book ended too soon! Loved all the "Doyleisms" and golf stories. Would love to shake his hand.

I just finished this great book and feel like I've gone all in, nearly busted out, and then won big at the end. As a poker addict myself, I can say that for any serious Hold 'em player or fan, this book is a must-read. In his own folksy, Texas voice, Doyle relates to us most of the amazing events of his life such as his upbringing in rural Texas, his dangeous years playing poker in northern Fort Worth and along the Texas Circuit, his brushes with the mob in Vegas, his near death with melanoma, his faith, and most cruelly and sadly, the death of first daughter. A real page turner. I was surprised to learn the extent of the poker cheating that went on before the major casinos finally cleaned it up. I was impressed, as always, by Doyle's brutal honesty and character. For a self-described "obsessive gambler" who still often bets over a million dollars at the poker table or per a single hole of golf, to have become a successful multi-millionaire and have a happy family life is quite amazing. His two children, Todd and Patricia are both championship poker players themselves. Lots of interesting poker hands are discussed here, some no doubt for the first time. There are also a ton of great anecdotes, mostly funny but some very dark. His friendships and experiences with other poker greats including Chip Reese, Stu Ungar, Amarillo Slim and Johnny Moss (to name a few), are equally fascinating. Doyle Brunson is truly a living legend. Read it.

I bought this book for my husband. He is a big fan of world series poker. He loves watching Doyle Brunson in action so this book was a must have. It's full of anecdotes of Brunson's adventures over the years. He thoroughly enjoyed it.

Exactly what I expected when I ordered. There will be movie about him some day. Especially liked the chapter headings.

FW

The life story of Doyle Brunson is very interesting, even if I weren't a poker player. The book is written very well the stories are riveting. I would most certainly recommend it.