Review of The Godfather of Poker

Title:

The Godfather of Poker

Author:

Doyle Brunson with Michael Cochran

Publisher:

Cardoza Publishing

Date:

2009

ISBN:

1-58042-257-8

Pages:

384

Price:

$26.95

Reviewed by Nick Christenson, npc@lvrevealed.com

December 9, 2009

What can I say about Doyle Brunson that hasn't already been said? He's the winner of ten World Series of Poker bracelets, including two main-events, plus more other poker tournaments that I can name. He's the author of what is arguably the most important poker book ever written. More than anything else, he has held court at the top of the poker world for five decades and counting. It should be clear to even the most casual poker fan that Doyle Brunson's story is one that's worth telling. He recounts the remarkable tale of his life in the aptly named, The Godfather of Poker.

Brunson got his start in a tiny community in the heart of Texas. His initial claim to fame was as an athlete, renowned as both a great distance runner and as an outstanding basketball player. With his education completed and athletic career ended due to a crushed leg, he discovered he had a real passion, as well as an aptitude, for the game of poker. He has made his living through this game ever since, first by "fading the white line" in Texas, later in Las Vegas.

I don't think I'm going too far out on a limb to say that Doyle Brunson is the single most influential person in the history of the game of poker. The story of his life goes hand-in-glove with the rise in popularity of the game. This level of fame actually leads to my biggest concern in coming to this book; so much of Brunson's story has already been told. Books such as Poker Wisdom of a Champion, The Biggest Game in Town, and All-In, as well as numerous magazine articles, have chronicled large chunks of this man's remarkable life. Is there anything left to tell?

The Godfather of Poker assuaged all of my concerns. It's true that I've read many of the stories recounted in The Godfather of Poker before. However, there is a lot of material here that's new, or at least it's new to me. Moreover, many of the familiar stories come across as different in the context of the book. As individual articles it's easy to be enchanted by the occasional "colorful", even violent, story from Brunson's past. Collectively, these stories come together to paint a much darker picture of the author's early life. I believe The Godfather of Poker provides a much truer picture of what led to Doyle Brunson to become the person he is than the aggregation of everything else I've read about him.

With everything that Brunson has been through in his life, another concern I had was whether he would be willing to be truly thorough in recounting his life's story. There is precious little documenting the Texas poker circuit of the 1950s and 1960s, and we depend on those few who were eyewitness to this critical period in the development of the game for everything we know about this time frame. Again, Brunson has exceeded my expectations.

First, the author bares his soul on many topics that he has seemed reluctant to discuss before, including his relationship with his father, his grief at the death of his daughter Doyla, and the fact that his alma mater basically turned its back on his athletic accomplishments due to his profession. Further, the downside to a person's longevity is that one lives long enough to experience the loss of so many friends. We get to hear Brunson's reflections on Chip Reese, Puggy Pearson, Johnny Moss, "Sarge" Ferris, and many other luminaries who played key roles his life.

The second way in which I was surprised was with Brunson's willingness to add names to most of his stories, especially those of his Texas road days. Of course, there's a fine line between detailed background and gratuitous gossip. I get the strong sense that there are probably some people that the author still isn't willing to indict, and, consequently, some stories he still isn't willing to relate. I'm sure there will be Brunson critics out there who won't be satisfied with the choices the author makes here, but it's my opinion that he has managed to deftly walk a fine line. I just appreciate the level of detail he has provided in this book.

I do have a few minor reservations, though. Toward the end of the book, it falls away from its chronological narrative and becomes more of a series of articles, following a similar format to Poker Wisdom of a Champion. I would have preferred it if these philosophical musings could have been woven more seamlessly into the fabric of the book. Also, there are some gaps in the storytelling that I would have preferred to have been filled in. For example, late in the book Brunson informs us that he became a skilled marksman during his stint in the National Guard. I found myself trying to recall if the fact that he was a Guardsman was even mentioned earlier in the book.

Upon lifting the front cover I was hoping I'd find a book that was a truly thorough account of the life of Doyle Brunson, one that would present information and a viewpoint I hadn't heard before. While The Godfather of Poker isn't absolutely everything I could possibly imagine, it achieved more of what I was looking for than I had expected. I'm sure there will still be some who are disappointed by what might wind up being the final word on the life of Doyle Brunson, but I am not one of them. Anyone interested in the history of this remarkable man, who I expect would be everyone with even a casual interest in the game of poker, should want to read this book. I definitely recommend it.

Capsule:

The Godfather of Poker is the autobiography of the legendary Doyle Brunson. Many poker students have read much of this story in other places, but this book adds a great deal to what we already know, and does so while presenting a different, but entirely welcome, context to Brunson's life. It might not have every bit of information I was hoping for, but it does contain more than enough new and interesting material for me to recommend the book highly.

Note: I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher. I have no other interest, financial or otherwise, in the success of this book.