 Doyle
Brunson Talks the
World Series of
Poker, His
Autobiography and
Sex With Jenny Woo
I had a great
conversation with
Doyle the other day.
From our
conversation, it
just reminded me of
how laid back and
candid he could be.
We talked about key
items that were
going on this year
in the WSOP to
Politics to his
autobiography coming
out this fall. He
even threw in a
couple of questions
for me and even said
he missed Jenny.
What a guy!
Jenny: What is your
opinion on the delay
of the final table
of the World Series
of Poker?
Doyle: I think it’s
good for poker. I
think it’s going to
get a lot of
publicity, cause a
lot of people to
tune in and watch
the final table. And
that will create
more players. I
don’t like the idea.
If I was at the
final table, I
wouldn’t like it
because it gives the
other people time to
go to school.
Jenny: Has the WSOP
become more
difficult to win now
that there are so
many more
participants?
Doyle: It’s really
hard for a known pro
to even advance now
because everybody’s
shooting for you all
the time. It looks
like it’d be a
two-edge sword
because you
accumulate some tips
some times. But you
have to dodge so
many bullets it’s
almost impossible. I
don’t know how many
times I had people
come in and say,
“Well I know you got
me beat but I always
wanted to bust
Doyle.” And here
they come and sooner
or later one of them
is going to hit and
you’re gone.
 Jenny:
Is it possible for
someone to win
consecutive WSOPs
these days?
Doyle: Nah, it’s
impossible. You’ve
got a better chance
to get on a rocket
and ride to the
moon.
Jenny: What key
advice can you give
to those younger
players out there
who look up to you
as a mentor or an
idol?
Doyle: The best
advice I could give
them is not to
advance up in the
stakes too quickly.
That’s the most
common mistake, is
that they come in
and they want to try
to play with the
best and they
jeopardize their
bankroll and they
usually go broke. So
that’s why it’s so
hard to make it in
the poker world is
that people refuse
to go their level of
play. You should
stay at one level of
play until you can
beat it
consistently. And
then you might move
up.
Jenny: Who do you
regard as some of
the best poker
players today?
Doyle: I guess,
probably kind of the
known players.
Daniel Negreanu, my
son Todd, David
Benyamine, Patrick
Antonius.
Jenny: Do you see
any underdogs coming
through as being
well known this
year?
Doyle: Yeah, that
girl from New York,
Vanessa (Vanessa
Rousso). I played
her the year before
last in the heads up
and she beat me. She
made some really
good plays and I
know at that time
this was really a
young girl. I don’t
know she must be in
her early 20’s. And
I think she went
down to the last
four this year or
the last eight
maybe, but I know
she’s won three or
four matches so I
think she’s going to
be one of the top
lady players for
sure.
Jenny: As for your 2
children Todd and
Pamela, tell our
readers where you
see them in the near
future?
Doyle: Well I think
if Todd approaches
poker the right way,
I mean he has to
play a lot. He got
financially secure
as a youngster, so
he doesn’t have the
drive that I had. I
played to make money
and he’s pretty
dedicated in at
least playing in the
tournaments. But I
think you got to get
out and play in the
cash games to really
become a good poker
player. And Pamela,
she’s got some
talent. I think she
started a little bit
late. She was almost
forty when she
started. But she won
several tournaments
and I really don’t
know where she’s
going to go. I think
she’s going to
probably be kind of
a force to be
reckoned with in the
ladies.
Jenny: How did it
feel to see your
daughter Pamela
outlast both you and
Todd last year in
the WSOP main event?
Doyle: Hahaha. Well
she did it five
times in a row, five
tournaments in a
row. And it got a
little bit
aggravating cause
she’s very out
spoken. She has an
Escalade, a pick up,
and she’s got on it
“ The Last Brunson
Standing”. Hahaha.
It doesn’t bother me
as much as it does
Todd.
Jenny: Give us the
low down on what
happened with Pamela
Anderson. Do you two
still keep in touch?
Doyle: Well, she had
her own poker site.
And then we left the
United States
because of that
stupid law, well she
pulled out. I was
really surprised how
personable she was.
I mean she’s really
a sweet girl, good
person. All the
things I read about
her and I expected
her to be a little
more flaky. She
actually was pretty
bright, intelligent
and I liked her. But
no, we don’t keep in
touch. I haven’t
seen her in quite
some time.
Jenny: Give us the
secret to your
longevity. Yogurt?
Beer?
Doyle: I think it’s
mental activity. I
always tried to stay
mentally alert.
Trying to do
something, either
reading or writing
or playing. I never
have slowed up on
playing. Plus having
good genes. I think
that’s a big part of
it. My mother’s side
of the family have
lived up to their
nineties. So
hopefully I’ll take
after them and hang
around for a while.
Jenny: Speaking of
writing, do you see
yourself putting any
more books out
there?
Doyle:
Yeah, my
autobiography is
coming out this
fall. I was pretty
hesitant to do it to
tell you the truth
and I still have a
lot of reservations
cause a lot of
things that I’m not
too proud of (haha)
and some of them I
couldn’t even put in
there. But we did it
two years ago, most
of it, and I got to
thinking about it
and said nah I don’t
want to do this. But
then we decided to
go ahead and put it
out.
Jenny: You’ve had a
couple of scary
moments. You had a
promising future in
athletics until your
accident, putting
you in a cast for 2
yrs and many of our
readers might not
know this but you
are a cancer
survivor. Have these
moments helped or
worked against you
in your poker
career? Or both?
Doyle: They
definitely have
helped me because
when I had the
cancer scare, it’s
been about 45 or 46
years ago. Five
doctors told me that
I couldn’t live more
than three months.
When the miracle
happened and they
operated on me and
all the cancer was
gone and I came out
of the hospital and
that was kind of the
defining moment in
my life is that I
knew what I was
going to do from
then on. You might
say, I was kind of
debating about going
back into something
respectable cause
everybody looked
down on the gambling
industry back in
those days. But
that’s when I
decided, well heck
life’s too short,
I’m going to do what
I want to do. And
the athletics I
think was a plus too
because poker and
sports kind of
parallel each other
in a lot of ways on
discipline and
training and keeping
your head on
straight. So I think
that helped me too.
Jenny: When you were
in a cast, you had
to keep yourself
occupied. Didn’t you
keep yourself
occupied with poker?
Doyle: Yeah. I went
back to get my
master’s degree, I
was still in a cast
and I didn’t have
enough money to pay
my tuition. I was
all scholarship at
that point so that’s
when I started
playing. And started
paying my way and
that’s how I got
through graduate
school.
Jenny: I voted you
my sexiest poker
player of 2008. You
even beat a Playboy
model and Shannon
Elizabeth. What is
it like being
crowned the sexiest
in the poker world
by moi?
Doyle: Hahaha. Yeah
well…that was nice
and I appreciate it.
But that was a
tongue and cheek
thing I think.
Jenny: Well I know
you've seen my
tongue haha....Do
you think Shannon is
jealous?
Doyle: Haha. Nah I
don’t think so.
Shannon is a pretty
confident with her
sexuality.
Jenny: Speaking of
Shannon, you know
her on a personal
level. Where do you
see her going? Do
you think she is a
talented poker
player?
Doyle: I think she’s
more talented then
people know. She’s
representing Doyle’s
Room this year at
the World Series. I
don’t think she’s
done too well so
far, but I watched
her play a couple of
times in the head up
matches and she
played pretty damn
good. I think she’s
better then most
people think or give
her credit for. She
has a ways to go.
She could teach me a
few things too.
FIND OUT TOMORROW
WHO DOYLE IS VOTING
FOR IN THE UPCOMING
PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION.....
----
Jenny Woo,
Gambling911.com
Senior Correspondent
Originally published
June 17, 2008 8:39
pm EST
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