WSOP Pays Tribute to the Late Doyle Brunson
The opening day of the 2023 WSOP was a somewhat sombre occasion. The poker community paid tribute to the recently deceased Doyle Brunson. Brunson passed away on May 14 at the age of 89. On the first day of the series, WSOP officials held a tribute to the late 10-time bracelet winner.
Below is a tribute video to the godfather of poker.
Known as “Texas Dolly,” Brunson had a career that spanned more than five decades. Originally an aspiring basketball player, Brunson broke his leg in college, ending his hopes of playing professionally.
Brunson decided to start playing poker professionally when he discovered he could make more money in one night of playing poker than he could in a month on the job. Thus began a poker career that made him a legend.
Brunson was an elite in both poker tournaments and high-stakes cash games. He played the largest cash games in Las Vegas and was a staple of the famed Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio. For tournaments, Brunson has over $6.1 million in earnings. However, this does not account for events not recorded before the poker boom.
Brunson is best known for his ten WSOP bracelets. Brunson won back-to-back WSOP Main Events in 1976 and 1977, winning both with a 10-2 on the final hand. The 10-2 is now known as the “Brunson.” Fast forward to 2005, and he won his 10th career bracelet in a $5,000 Short-Handed NL Event with a 10-3.
Brunson was the driving influence for many poker players, and his book Super System taught many people how to play poker. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988.
Chad Eveslage Becomes First Two-Time Winner of 2023
It only took a week for someone to go on a heater and become the first dual-bracelet winner of 2023. Chad Eveslage won two bracelets in a week by taking down the $1,500 Dealer’s Choice Event and the $10k Dealer’s Choice Championship.
The $1,500 Dealer’s Choice Event concluded on June 2. Eveslage came out on top of a field of 456 entries to win his second career WSOP bracelet and $131,879. He defeated a stacked final table that included John Racener and Nick Kost. However, he was not done. Eveslage decided to play the $10k Dealer’s Choice Championship and found similar results.
The $10k Dealer’s Choice Championship drew 130 entries, and again, Eveslage managed to come out on top. This time, he beat a stacked final table that included Ari Engel, Marco Johnson, and Dutch Boyd. Eveslage defeated Boyd heads-up to win his second bracelet of the series and $311,428.
Some consider Eveslage the best Badeucey player in the world, but he proved his prowess in many games throughout his two bracelet victories. He is now the early favourite for the 2023 WSOP Player of the Year race.
Isaac Haxton Among Other Notable Winners and Stories Thus Far
Over 20 WSOP bracelets have been awarded thus far in the series, with many more still to come. Here are a few of the stories you may have missed over the first two weeks of the 2023 World Series of Poker:
Isaac Haxton Finally Wins One – Isaac Haxton was perhaps the best tournament player to have never won a bracelet. He finally got rid of that moniker after winning the $25k Eight-Handed High Roller Event. He defeated Ryan O’Donnell heads-up for his first bracelet and $1.69 million.
Brian Yoon Wins #5 – Brian Yoon joined the elite company this year after winning his 5th career WSOP bracelet. He won the $10k Seven Card Stud Championship to become the 33rd player in history to win five or more bracelets.
Nick Schulman Wins Fourth Bracelet – While many know Nick Schulman for his commentary skills, he is quite the accomplished poker player. He won his fourth career bracelet in the $1,500 Seven Card Stud Event and looks to increase his play volume to win more bracelets this year.
Doug Polk’s Near Miss – Doug Polk, at one time, was the greatest heads-up poker player in history. He reminded the world of his prowess by nearly winning the $25k Heads-Up Championship. He finished runner-up to Chanracy Khun but put the poker world on notice that he was still a force in the heads-up arena.
Phil Ivey Arrives – A big question on everyone’s mind was whether 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Ivey would show up. He answered that quickly after showing up for Event #2, the $25,000 High Roller Six-Max. It is unknown how many events he will play, but Ivey is always a threat in any event he plays.
