Even though he has more than 50 years in the poker world under his belt, poker legend Doyle Brunson continues to be one of the leaders in the community, advocating suggestions for improvements to the industry.
After making a stirring run during the Main Event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe - he was in the Top Ten through much of the action before being eliminated in 17th place - the man known as the "Godfather of Poker" opined on his blog about some of the spectacle that surrounded the tournament series. Brunson's blog is one of the most respected reads in the poker industry and its author is known for pulling no punches when it comes to his thoughts.
On the location of the WSOP Europe, Brunson states that he'd like to see a change and admits that the Casino at the Empire in London "needs to be bigger." Looking potentially at making WSOP Europe even larger than it is, Brunson suggests that, if the management of Harrah's could work out the details, moving the location of the three year old event to a new city each year would "draw many more players - London is just too expensive for the beginning pros to play.
Brunson also spoke up about fellow former World Champion Phil Hellmuth, whose grandiose entrance to the WSOP in Las Vegas was duplicated this year at WSOP Europe. Brunson, who was seemingly dismayed at Hellmuth's display, writes in his blog, "I've always liked Phil Hellmuth and have defended his tantrums because that is "Phil being Phil," but these grand entrances he makes are too much! He came to my table dressed as Julius Caesar along with trumpets and scantily clad girls. It embarrassed me just being there. I would have liked to have applied for the role of Brutus. I am a poker purist and stuff like that detracts too much from what a great game poker is."
In addition to his opinions on the recently completed WSOP Europe, Brunson is kicking up his activity on his eponymous poker room. For some time, DoylesRoom has featured a weekly Bounty Tournament where Brunson and many of his friends - including his daughter Pamela and son Todd, longtime friends Mike "The Mad Genius of Poker" Caro and Hoyt Corkins, and celebrities like socialite Nicky Hilton and actress Jamie Lynn Sigler - have sizeable bounties on their heads. Now, Brunson is offering players at the site the opportunity to step to the felts to take him on in an arena that Brunson has dominated for decades, cash games.
Beginning tonight at 7:00pm ET and then taking place every night Monday through Friday thereafter, Brunson will step to the virtual felts on the $5/$10 and $10/$20 No Limit Texas Hold’em tables and take on all comers. While Brunson, whose online moniker is "Tex_Dolly," will be the centerpiece of the battles, several of the previously mentioned players and members of the Brunson 10, which include online warriors Amit "amak316" Makhija, Zachary Clark, Alec "traheho" Torelli, and Chris "Moorman1" Moorman, will also be on hand. There should be plenty of action and poker discussion between players at these tables.