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Hundreds of poker fans joined a who’s who of the poker world on Sunday to honor the late Doyle Brunson at a special celebration of life ceremony. The event was open to the public, and a line to enter the Jubilee Theatre wrapped around the Horseshoe Las Vegas casino floor to get in.
Brunson, who passed away in May at the age of 89, is considered poker’s biggest legend. The Hall of Famer competed at the highest levels of the game for the better part of seven decades, won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets to go along with a World Poker Tour title, and wrote the original poker bible in Super System.
The ceremony was hosted by Brunson’s longtime agent and friend, Brian Balsbaugh, who suggested Oct. 2 for an annual Doyle Brunson day in honor of the two main events he won with 10-2. The “motion” was soundly “seconded” and supported by those in attendance.
“On Doyle Brunson day, we all celebrate and play poker,” said Balsbaugh.
The audience was treated to a sneak preview of an upcoming Doyle Brunson documentary, as well as speakers Dewey Tomko, Mori Eskandani, Gabe Kaplan, Lyle Berman, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Hellmuth, who was running on no sleep after winning his record-extending 17th bracelet just hours earlier that morning.
Other notables in attendance included Jack Binion, Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan, Freddy Deeb, Linda Johnson, Terry King, Jan Fisher, David Williams, Erick Lindgren, Josh Arieh, Tony Dunst, Allyn Shulman, Ken Lambert, Karina Jett, Betrand Grospellier, WPT executives Adam Pliska and Matt Savage, and poker vloggers Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen.
Longtime friend and three-time bracelet winner Dewey Tomko opted to talk about Brunson’s faith and generosity instead of his poker prowess, telling a story about water wells in Africa that Brunson would pay for and then name after his friends.
PokerGO producer Mori Eskandani followed with his own stories, telling the crowd that “poker got lucky when Doyle Brunson dragged his first pot.”
Actor, comedian, and former poker commentator Gabe Kaplan spoke about the first time he met Brunson, who gifted him a copy of his book Super System. “That $100 book, in the last 40 years, has cost me $35 million,” Kaplan joked.
WPT co-founder Lyle Berman also spoke of their friendship, joking that he spent “more time with Doyle than [his] two ex-wives combined.”
Both Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu talked about Brunson’s efforts to grow the game and share his wisdom with the younger generations.
“He was an oasis of comfort,” said Hellmuth, while Negreanu pointed out that not only was he still competing at a high level up until his death, but he was actually getting better.
The ceremony was closed out by Doyle’s son, fellow Hall of Famer Todd Brunson, who gave a light roasting to the other speakers before thanking the crowd for coming.
“Dad would have been tickled pink to see this turnout,” he said.
You can watch some of the ceremony on Daniel Negreanu’s vlog.
Brunson’s life and poker career are also featured in the latest issue of Card Player Magazine_, available for free onlineweb.pdf.
Those who came to the celebration of life event were given a deck of cards with Brunson’s image on the box. The deck consists of 26 tens and 26 deuces, each with a different “Doyle-ism” printed on the back.
“The meaning of life can’t be told, it’s gotta be lived.”
“Success comes from taking the hand you were dealt and using it to the best of your ability.”
“Sometimes opportunity knocks, at other times you have to pursue it.”
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