Poker Quotes Brunson

As Doyle Brunson told CardPlayer Lifestyle in this interview, his views on the game of poker are fairly simple – everyone deserves respect. ‘Texas Dolly’ may have won it all and became a true Poker Idol, but he remains humble enough to credit even the beginner player for putting down their money and sitting down to risk their chips. Brunson is a former professional poker player known for wearing a cowboy hat and for writing the poker bible Super System. Super System is seen as the blueprint on poker strategy and politics.

I grew up in Dayton, Ohio and one of my best friends was Danny Robison (who was two years older than I was). He was a great high school athlete and the guy who taught me how to play poker at the age of 13. We really were good kids growing up. We never smoked or drank, but because of Danny’s influence, the kids in the neighborhood gambled. I’m not saying it’s a good thing, but we bet on everything – cards, golf, bowling, ping-pong, whiffle ball, board games, you name it.

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Danny and the late, great, Chip Reese took a trip to Las Vegas in the early 1970s and quickly became rock stars in the poker world. I stayed at their house (the ultimate bachelor pad) when I would go to Las Vegas and although I didn’t play in the high-stakes games they did, I hung around them, so I got to know all the poker icons like Puggy Pearson, Stu Ungar, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, Sarge Ferris, Jack Strauss, and Billy Baxter. These guys are all members of the Poker Hall of Fame and are true legends in the poker industry.

I have great memories of the “old days.” Here are some quotes from these poker legends while I was in their company:

Chip Reese (considered by most, including me, to be the best all-around player that ever lived): “Sexton, there are two days in poker that you will never forget. One is the first time you’ll lose $100,000 in a night and the other is the first time you’ll lose $1,000,000 in a night.”

Doyle Brunson: In the mid-1980s, Doyle was being interviewed by Poker Player (They were doing an article attempting to rank the best poker players in each game). I was standing next to him when he was asked, “Doyle, who do you think are the best poker players in each of the different games?” Doyle said, “You judge a hunter by the number of furs he brings home. Make no mistake about it – the best players are the ones who play in the highest-stakes games and are successful over time.”

Puggy Pearson: Years ago, I was “between bankrolls” (which is a quote by Frank Henderson when someone once asked him how he was doing). I owed a bookmaker some money and didn’t have it. I went over to Puggy’s house to borrow some money so I could pay the guy. After telling Puggy my story, he looked at me and said, “Son, let me give you some good advice. Don’t ever spend your time worrying about money you owe someone. Let them worry about it.”

Jack “Treetop” Strauss: Jack was an amazing guy who loved action and high risk. He once said, “I’d rather live one day as a lion than my whole life as a lamb.” Years ago during the World Series of Poker, Jack and I were going up to the Steakhouse at Binion’s when a guy came running up to us and said, “Jack, I’m in the best $3-$6 game in the world. They’re all playing like maniacs. I’ve been so unlucky in the game you can’t believe it, but for sure, I’m going to beat the game. Have you got some money I could borrow so I can get back in the game?” Jack reached in his pocket and pulled out two green chips ($25 chips). He flipped them to the guy and said, “Good luck!” We get in the elevator and I asked Jack who the guy was. He said, “I don’t know. If I knew him, I’d have given him a hundred.”

Stu Ungar: Stuey had the quickest mind and the most gamble of anyone I’ve ever known. And in my mind, without question, he was the greatest big buy-in No Limit Hold’em player of all time (He played in about 35 big buy-in No Limit tournaments in his lifetime and he won 10 of them!). In 1990, I bumped into Stuey as I was walking from the Golden Nugget to the Horseshoe to play in the 8 or Better Stud tournament at the WSOP (I won this event the previous year). As we walked out the door to cross the street, he said to me, “Sexton, never forget this. Anyone can win a poker tournament. Defending, that’s where it’s at.”

Well, I can’t tell you the goose bumps I got when he said that to me. It jacked me up so much that I couldn’t wait to start the tournament. I won the 8 or Better Stud event a year ago and now, after hearing that, I really wanted to defend my title. And I almost did it!

I made it to the final table and things were going well. With five players left, I played a three-way jammed pot. On fifth street, I had two Aces and a seven-low draw. One opponent had Kings up and the other (Stormin’ Norman from Augusta, Georgia) had two eights with a gutshot straight draw. I was all-in on sixth street. I caught a deuce (to make Aces up) on sixth street and a Queen down the river. Norman caught a six to make an eight-high straight and scooped the pot. It was heartbreak for me. I busted out in fifth place and Norman went on to win the bracelet.

In the history of the WSOP, I believe only five people have successfully defended their titles (and none have done it in an open event that wasn’t the Championship event): Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar, and Johnny Chan did it in the Main Event and Susie Isaacs did it in the Ladies’ Event. Because of Stuey’s inspiration and quote while we were crossing the street that day, I almost defended my title.

Do you recognize this quote? “May all your cards be live and your pots be monsters!”

Take care.

Having a champion kind of week? Maybe your Monday started like getting one-outered on the river. If so, never mind! We have seven quotes from World Series of Poker Main Event World Champions for you to absorb and be inspired by.

Despite protestations to the contrary, we haven’t included any from WSOP $5,000 Rebuy Main Event Stoyan Madanzhiev, although as he told us himself last week, maybe he should be considered a World Champion too.

Let’s seek solace in these wise words from seven World Series Main Event winners.

1. “I respect anyone that pulls a chair up to a poker table, no matter what the stakes are.”

As Doyle Brunsontold CardPlayer Lifestyle in this interview, his views on the game of poker are fairly simple – everyone deserves respect. ‘Texas Dolly’ may have won it all and became a true Poker Idol, but he remains humble enough to credit even the beginner player for putting down their money and sitting down to risk their chips.

2. “I came into this tournament as an underdog and it was only when I busted Johnny Chan that I really started to gain confidence.”

This revealing interview with Chris Moneymaker showed the world that what they already suspected was true – Moneymaker may have had the flash name, but a man for whom humility is second nature is the reason his legend goes on.

3. “Not too many players try to bluff me. If there’s going to be bluffing or stealing going on, I’m going to be the one doing to it.”

Johnny Chan’s words on the art of bluffing should inspire you to take it to your opponents at all times. If Johnny Chan had ever actually faced Mike Dermott from Rounders at the felt, he’d have made mincemeat of him.

4. “I never want to be called a ‘good loser. ‘ Show me a good loser and I’ll just show you a loser.”

Stu Ungar said many things about poker, but this summarises how most poker players feel… especially after a bad beat. Where would Stu Ungar be if he was still around today – in the super high rollers, or the Rio daily? It’s a tragedy that we’ll never know.

5. “I play against people all the time who are younger than I was when I won it. One of these guys is going to win.”

Joe Cada told me this in 2017 and I still believe him. Maybe in 2021, we’ll see the youngest-ever winner of the WSOP Main Event. We wouldn’t be at all surprised, although Joe Cada winning another bracelet to add to the four that he already has in his collection would seem ever more likely. The 2009 WSOP Main Event world champion holds legendary status in our eyes.

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6. “I never felt that pressure to ‘go pro.’ I told myself I could keep playing as long as I kept winning.”

Martin Jacobson would know a thing or two about doing so as he told me just a couple of years ago when we discussed his early life as a chef back in Sweden. It’s fair to say that he’s been cooking up a storm at the poker felt ever since, winning the 2014 Main Event for a cool $10 million, the second largest prize in Main Event history.

7. “I love playing poker. I love the competition. It’s not about the money to me. It’s going up against the best with your mind.”

Chris Ferguson’s this week’s curveball quote from the halls of the Rio a couple of years back, designed to simultaneously fill you with anger and a burning desire to eclipse the talents of ‘Jesus’. If he can do it, then why can’t you? Just be kind to people along the way.

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