DOYLEISM OF THE DAY: “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”

I’ve never sat around the house doing nothing constructive. Since the 1st of the year, I sit at my desk all day with no plans for travel or even looking for cash games. I work on projects that I’ve been postponing for years, play online at DoylesRoom.com, read, watch TV and DVD’s. I read blogs, go to twitter several times a day, and spend a lot of time reflecting on past and future events. It is a pretty boring life but you do pick up new insights about lots of things.

For example, I guess I never really understood that people regard me as one of the ancient and old-time players. Really!  I don’t do a lot of time studying spreadsheets and trying to figure out my opponents patterns, etc. That stuff may work online against players you are unfamiliar with but I still believe poker is a “people game”. If you can look a player in the eye, you can learn more in a fraction of a second than a month’s worth of analyzing his play on paper. I’m not saying the paperwork has no value, but for Pete’s sake, don’t these genius youngsters understand the changing gears concept of poker? I may have certain trends in my play that can be monitored but I challenge anyone to figure out what I’m going to do in a poker game. How can they when I don’t know myself what I’m going to do until I do it? I’m always aware of certain things I do while playing a pot and I try to vary different things. That is an “old fashioned” thing called tells.

Speaking of tells, all the top poker players develop what we call mini-tells on every player we play with. How? By the way a newcomer handles his chips, his table talk, plus physical tells that almost everyone has. The older pros are aware of this and try to change several times in each session how they bet, etc. Even the great players sometimes are unaware of some things. For example, Stu Ungar did something that was 100% accurate. When we were playing lowball draw, it is common to pretend to look and then bet out. Stu would sometimes look at his card and bluff knowing for sure what he had. He would always make a point of being sure I saw him looking back so it would eliminate my thinking it was a “dark semi bluff”. That was golden and over the years I’ve picked up things like that on almost all the players I’ve played with. The tells have to be in the right situation always, but my point is, how do you learn things like that online?

I feel I’m rambling quite a bit now but when you are doing nothing day after day, your mind gets active. Anyway, I’ve never pretended to be a bonafide online poker player so I might not know or understand some of the more complex problems. When I hear people talking about tracking devices, statkeeping software, etc. I just think WTF. So maybe it is a different world when you play online and perhaps I’m a dinosaur and don’t understand the ins and outs.  But poker to me is a group of players sitting down and trying to figure out how to get the opponent’s chips.

I might as well keep rambling while I’m at it. After I read blogs, forums and different poker discussions, I see where I’m perceived to be a “nit” at the poker table now. Old style, new style, doesn’t make any difference. The object of the game is to win your opponent’s chips. It’s not to make “star” plays and try to entertain an audience. I thought I was doing ok when I won 15 straight times in the TV cash games. But that doesn’t please the poker critics who want to watch spectacular plays, big pots, etc. If you want to watch poker on TV objectively, you have to realize that the way the other players play dictate the way you should play. So yes, I sit back and wait for the young guys to make mistakes. And they always do. Call me crazy, but I only see 5 or 6 players that I can think are fundamentally sound. You can get away with it sometimes but if you don’t observe some simple fundamentals, they are going to bite you in the ass. There must really be a big difference in the online play because most of the youngsters from the internet don’t have a clue. One of these days I might just twist off and show these kids how Doyle Brunson used to play. Actually, that would be stupid because right now, it’s hard to lose when these young guys are trying to make their star plays.

Being an ex-basketball player, I think a good analogy is basketball at every level. Today against yesterday. The players are certainly different, but in a physical sense. Today’s players are bigger, stronger and can do things no player in my era could do. But the object of the game is the same. You try to score and keep the other team from scoring. Bottom line, you try to win. Poker isn’t a physical thing and the main thing is to win more chips than you lose. So it’s pretty difficult for me to say today’s players are better than the old-time players. You can only judge the quality by who wins and who has the staying power. Lots of room for debate here.

-DB

DoylesRoom.com on Track for Tremendous Growth in 2010

In less than a year, the DoylesRoom brand has evolved to become one of the most attractive destinations for players, employees and poker pros

Las Vegas, Nevada – January 12, 2010 – In 2009, DoylesRoom.com laid the groundwork to become one of the fastest growing online poker sites in the world. Today, thanks to a year of big changes and some recent announcements, the online poker website that’s endorsed by the Godfather of Poker, Doyle Brunson, is on track for some unheard of growth in the new decade.

Just days after announcing that well-respected VP of Marketing, Will Griffiths, has taken on the role of President of DoylesRoom.com, management has announced the appointments of a number of top gaming professionals to various posts at DoylesRoom.com, including CFO, CTO, and Director of Affiliates plus a number of positions in Business Intelligence and Product Management.

The news comes after a stellar year for DoylesRoom that saw the brand go from a very western, Texas-themed card room to a cutting-edge poker destination built for young, emerging online poker talent.

2009 also saw the creation of one of online poker’s most inspirational teams of elite poker talent. Doyle Brunson launched The Brunson 10 with three young poker greats – Alec Torelli, Amit Makhija and Zachary Clark – all of whom began their poker careers online and achieved enormous success at live card rooms as well. UK poker prodigy Chris Moorman joined the team soon after, followed by Dani Stern.

With five spots remaining, Doyle Brunson and the DoylesRoom.com management team have their eyes on a number of top online poker talent.

Stated Will Griffiths, President of DoylesRoom.com, “Over the last year, the best poker players have been drawn to the all-new DoylesRoom and now a lot of the top names are shifting their focus to us. Today, we have a number of big names knocking on our door, trying to get the attention of Doyle Brunson and ultimately a spot on his team. People want to play with the best, learn from the biggest poker legend, and perhaps even become the next future poker legend. DoylesRoom is delivering on all fronts.”

It’s not just poker players who are begging to be patched with the new DoylesRoom logo. In 2009, a number of industry professionals have moved over to DoylesRoom.com from a number of other online poker rooms and online casinos. The online poker destination is also looking more international with a number of British, Canadian and Costa Rican gaming professionals occupying senior positions.

Notes Griffiths, “People are keen to align themselves with the only poker site that’s tied the biggest poker legend of all time, Doyle Brunson, and associate themselves with an online poker website that’s run by those with integrity. I see a lot more online poker talent, everyday players and industry professionals turning to DoylesRoom in 2010 and beyond.”

DoylesRoom.com Brings Back Wednesday Bounty

Doubles Prize Money to $50,000

$50,000 in bounty prize money, a $5,000 10-2 challenge and free seats for new players will make the new DoylesRoom.com Bounty Tournament a player favorite

San Jose, Costa Rica – August 17, 2009 – Bounty-hungry, poker-playing gunslingers rejoice. Beginning Wednesday, August 19th, Doyle’s Bounty Tournament returns to DoylesRoom.com with an enhanced $50,000 bonus that goes to the player who can take down Brunson and his friends. The $50,000 bounty prize pool is twice as big as the original $25,000 bounty and will be a weekly fixture at DoylesRoom.com.

For just $27.50, bounty hunters can buy into Doyle’s Bounty Tournament at 9:30pm ET and play for a prize pool that includes up to $50,000 in bounty money. Any player who knocks out one pro will win $1,000 in bounty money. Two pro knockouts will earn the bounty hunter $10,000 and three pro knockouts will earn the successful player $50,000.

On August 19th, the marked men will include Doyle Brunson, Mike Caro, Hoyt Corkins and guest player LDM72.

In addition to up to $50,000 in bounty money, the Wednesday Bounty Tournament features an additional $5,000 10/2 challenge. If a player knocks out Doyle Brunson with 10/2, they’ll win a $5,000 bonus.

To make the Wednesday Bounty Tournament even more accessible, the poker room manager is giving away seats to those who have never played the game before. All first time players will receive a full refund upon conclusion of the tournament whether they win or lose.

The Wednesday Bounty Tournament returns to DoylesRoom at 9:30pm ET on August 19, 2009. For terms and conditions, please click on www.DoylesRoom.com.

About DoylesRoom.com:

Online since 2004, DoylesRoom (www.DoylesRoom.com) is the only online poker site to proudly bear the legendary Doyle Brunson name. The newest addition to the Cake Poker Network, DoylesRoom offers its players access to unequaled poker promotions, fast action, and countless opportunities to play with Doyle Brunson and other legends of the game. Poker players from North America and around the world can compete for the biggest stakes on the web or sharpen their poker skills while playing Texas Hold‘em and other popular games for free. With free poker software, lessons, tournaments, nonstop Sit-and-Go tournaments and ring games available at all limits, DoylesRoom is the preeminent poker destination for real live game play—online or anywhere.

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on!”

The 2009 WSOP is history except for the November 9. Each player at the final table gets over a million, all the way to the 1st place 9 million. Jeff Shulman and Phil Ivey are the only names I recognize and I’m going to be there to cheer them on. I’m a fan of the Shulman family. Jeff and Barry are both fine poker players (Jeff is the best ) and Barry’s wife is a respected attorney. I’m a little unsure how I feel about Jeff’s remark that he would throw the bracelet in the garbage can if he won it. I understand his concerns and agree with most of them, but to throw away the bracelet? Pretty strong statement!

The poker games are out of control at the Bellagio. I’ve never seen games where so much money is won and lost each night. I’ve only played in the game twice because it is PLO, which I consider my worst game. I won both times but have been content to play in the “baby games”, 2-4k and 4-8k mixed games. The Chinese Poker has been even bigger. We played $15,000 a point last night, 4 handed and 2 waiting. I had a 2.1 million dollar swing in less than an hour. Now that is gambling!

I get asked how in the world do you handle the ups and downs. The first thing you have to learn is how to endure disappointments. Sometimes I feel like a salmon swimming upstream to spawn. I always try to remember what my personal hero, Jim Valvano, said.

Valvano was the coach when North Carolina State beat Houston for the NCAA Championship. A few years later he contracted terminal cancer and gave an unforgettable speech on national TV. I remember he said, “This cancer can kill my body, but it can’t kill my spirit. Always remember, don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”

I try to do just that.

-DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “The biggest problem you will ever have watches you from the mirror every day.”

The Main Event is still going on at the WSOP. The pros are getting fewer and fewer but that’s what makes a great tournament, anyone can get lucky and win.
I did my very best to at least go deep but just couldn’t hang on. I understand only too well that survival is the key for the first two days in a big field like the WSOP. But as day 1 wound down, I was sitting on a little under $30,000 and flopped a set against a player who had re-raised. To my surprise, my opponent didn’t just bet, he moved in on me. There was no straight or flush possible, so I had to call. Turns out he was drawing at a straight and made it and the board didn’t pair. Out the first day for the 3rd year in a row. How do you play “small ball” poker when that happens?

The good news is that the cash games at the Bellagio are really, really good. In fact, I haven’t seen games like the ones going on for years. There are millions of dollars on the two tables in Bobby’s Room every night. The high action games have even moved out into the main poker rooms because there are so many of them. I saw two 4-8 thousand mixed games, a 3-6k mixed game, a 2-4 mixed and a 2-4k blind pot limit Omaha going at the same time. There are lots of Europeans playing with the local players and huge amounts of money are being won and lost. A French business man seems to be the big winner but it’s hard to be accurate on winners and losers. I know myself that I’m small winner but have played 3 pots with a million dollars in the middle. I won one, lost one, and split a huge pot with Patrik Antonius when we dealt the turn + river 4 times. I had a set against 2 pair bigger than my set and a flush draw. But the biggest disappointment was when Gus Hansen hit runner-runner with all the cash in on the flop. Oh well, the games are good and will be there for another week or so.

If you like Chinese poker, the games have accelerated to 10K a point. That is the biggest Chinese games I’ve seen with half a million or more swings every night. I played a couple of time with not much of a result but I’ve played Chinese poker hundreds of hours, so I’m a very good player. The secret is how you play your bad hands; everyone plays the good hands properly.

I’m amazed at how well I’ve held up this past 6 weeks. I did lots of interviews, played several tournaments, did 4 seminars with Mike Caro, took care of everyday problems at home with Louise being out of the country and played a few cash games before I was knocked out of the WSOP. Then I caught the “flu” or whatever was going around at the tournament but just kept going because the cash games were so good. I even changed my sleeping hours where I could stay up all night. I’ve averaged playing 12-14 hours a day and have completely recovered from the illness. I feel strong and thank God I inherited the stamina from the Brunson genes.

Speaking of the genes, Pam Brunson, my daughter, outlasted Todd and I in the Main Event to win the “Last Brunson Standing” for the 3rd year in a row. I can’t remember the last tournament she didn’t outlast both of us (and Hoyt Corkins). Now Todd and I have to listen to her for another year. Just kidding Pam, nice going, I know you are getting better and better.

I saw the list of nominees for the Poker Hall of Fame. There are some great players, 10 were nominated, but my vote has to go to Mike Sexton or Barry Greenstein. Some of the others are too young and some don’t fit the criteria that are required for being elected. Phil Ivey is one that is a cinch to be inducted, but not this year because of his young age. Of course he is still alive in the Main Event and if he somehow wins, I’ll vote for him now.

-DB

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