DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Some poker players drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.”
March 13, 2009 by Doyle Brunson
Filed under Doyle's Blog
I’m flattered so many people read my blog. I’ve had tons of e-mails, phone calls (mostly anonymous), talk on the different forums, etc. There seems to be some confusion so I’ll clarify a few things.
First, unless I specify it, any comments I make about poker don’t include internet poker. So when I said I never saw a poker game that I couldn’t beat, I meant 6 or more players sitting down at a table. I don’t mean on the internet where players might be talking on the phone or sending IMs. I don’t care if you find the top 6 or 7 NLH in the world; I believe I can find a way to win. Also, I don’t care if I can beat anyone heads up. Why?….I don’t play heads up for a living, only ring games. I’ve never gone around “bragging” about being the greatest player, only that I’ve played high-stakes poker longer than anyone.
Aggression? Anyone who has read Super System knows I invented that way back in the 70’s. These young kids have taken it to a new level. So you have to keep changing your game, just as I had to do after S/S came out. Nowdays, you have to pick your spots to bluff and you try to trap the over aggressive players. Everyone keeps talking about how tight I play on the TV cash games. If you watch these games closely, you’ll see a lot of the guys, kids mostly, making plays strictly because they are on TV. Any professional poker player would certainly be wrong to shoot it out with the maniac players.
It amazes me. I’ve won 14 or 15 straight times in the TV cash games. I love them and I love playing against the young “superstars”. The main idea of playing is to win, right? Watch Barry G and notice how he plays on these shows. Entirely different than when he plays in a tough cash game. The older players certainly know how to make plays but we won’t make a lot because we know how to adapt to any situation.
Another thing that pisses me off is when these “know-it-alls” talk about the old time poker players not being any good. I’d like to see any of the “greats” go back and play Johnny Moss, Pat Renfro, Sailor Roberts, James Roy, Doc Ramsey and a host of other guys that made their living playing NLH. Of course that can’t happen so we’ll never know. I’ve played against both worlds and I think the old guys would chew up these young guns.
I’m getting old, there is nothing I can do about that, but I’m still willing to play anybody “Doyle Sez”, where I can name the game and change to another game when I want to. If any of the internet stars, that don’t play live, want to play, I’ll give them half their money back if they lose if they play 8 hours a day for a week.
Everyone also asks about the match between Patrik Antonius and myself and what happened. First, I want to say I’m not interested in playing Patrik because he is a weak player. On the contrary, I think he is a great player and I make him and Daniel Negreanu the favorites over anyone to still be playing 30 years from now. Patrik wants a list of the games, which I’ll provide him.
I just feel I can find a game against anyone that I can beat them at. I know this means I’ll have to play heads up, which I hate, but I can’t back down now. 
-DB
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Hi, Doyle –
You’d obviously know better than I would: do you think Patrik + Daniel are more likely than Phil [Ivey] to still be playing 30 years from now?
Warmest Regards,
Carlo
Doyle you’ve always had the goods and you have an awesome tight aggressive style that I try to model my own play after. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool.
Doyle,
There’s no way that you have anything to prove at this point. I can’t imagine what else you could possibly have to prove and to whom you would need to prove yourself.
Thanks for writing,
badbeats
Hiya Doyle -
There is just something with this generation that has a distinct need for validation. Everything is broadcast and everything is talked about. There is very little respect for what has transpired before or for others that taught them. The ego online is getting larger…and it gets very tiresome to read.
Dear Mr Brunson,
I am a middle aged Irish man who only discovered poker recently, basically through watching you and other poker players on poker after dark. The shows I see are usually a year or two old but that doesn’t matter because their still new to me. I think Daniel,Ivey, Helmuth and Hansen are great players, but I would give the edge to Daniel with my very limited Knowledge but I would have my money on you against any of them.I watched you play one night, the game in which you beat Phil Helmuth in the final and you were pure magic. You played with cards that most would instantly throw away of course you were playing the man and the situation more so than the cards, but it required great heart and you had it in abundance. Needless to say I bought your book and it opened a whole new world to me and for that I thank you. Above all you are a gentleman and that’s even more important than being the greatest poker player in the world. I can only play for pennies online and although I am still a novice I love this game primarily because people like you have made the game an art form. We will probably never meet and that loss will be solely on my side, but I Look forward to watching you play and hope you will do so for many years to come.
The old-time poker players aren’t any good? I’d love to see you take on a table of the monkeys who said this for a week… and you won’t see me there! I’m no O.G., myself, but these kids need a reality check or a good smack in the face.
Saying the old-time players aren’t any good is like saying Michael Jordan isn’t any good. It’s ridiculous. Nowadays, the standard way to play in the NBA is to play like Jordan. And when we play poker, we try to play like The Legend, and there is only one I can think of who truly has it down.
They play a style now that you invented, as you said, way back in the 70’s. And while that’s the current style the play (as they talk their trash, way to show some appreciation!), it’s old news to you. You have proved consistently, time and time again, that you can beat the very style of play that you gave us, the style the rest of us young cats use. You would think that would be enough to shut them up.
As was stated, you’ve got nothing to prove. But I understand that you ain’t going to back down. Keep in mind, youngsters; once Doyle takes over HU play, he will forever change the way that the rest of us play heads-up.