Texas Poker
The image of poker is inexorably tied up with the image of Texas. Say someone looks like an old time poker player and the picture of a tough, rugged cowboy or a healthy oil man complete with a ten gallon hat often comes to mind. Texas even has a poker game, Texas Hold'em, named after it, an honor few other states can claim. But why? There are no big casinos in Texas, no famous poker rooms. The reason Texas and poker have such a storied history is because of the road gamblers, Texans who, as they say, "faded the white line," moving from place to place looking for poker games to ply their skill. These men had no strategy books or computers to guide them and faced threats from both sides of the law on a daily basis. Two of these well known Texas poker icons are Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim.
Texas Poker Icon Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson is a living legend of poker, one of the most recognizable names in the game today. But it wasn't always that way. Doyle Brunson was a born competitor. He was such a gifted athlete that he was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers to play professional basketball. Sadly a work accident crushed his leg, and ended his dreams of basketball stardom. His competitive nature could not be crushed, however, and Doyle searched for other ways to satisfy it. He began playing poker in college and quickly found that he could make far more money at it than at any job he was trained for. He partnered up with two other poker players, Sailor Roberts and Amarillo Slim, and went on the road, taking any poker game he could find for as much money as he could.
Doyle literally wrote the book on Texas Hold'em. Before anyone ever dreamed how complex the game could be, Doyle was testing strategies and proving theories about the game. He wrote these observations down in a book called Super/System, which has since become required reading for any aspiring professional poker player. Doyle cemented his legend by winning back to back World Series of Poker main event championships, in 1976 and 1977. He has also won a record ten World Series bracelets in a variety of events.
Texas Poker Legend Amarillo Slim Preston
Although Slim was born in Arkansas, he was raised in Texas and has always considered himself a Texan. Poker was a natural fit for Slim, a born gambler. To this day, Amarillo Slim is known for his wild proposition bets, which he somehow always manages to tilt in his favor. Using his gambler's ingenuity, Slim has beaten Minnesota Fats at pool and tennis great Bobby Riggs at ping pong. He was one of the road gamblers who traveled with Doyle Brunson taking down poker games all over Texas.
Slim also made his mark at the World Series of Poker, winning the event in 1972 by defeating Puggy Pearson, another legendary poker player. Although Slim has not racked up as many tournament victories as some other famous players, his quick wit, charm and ability for self-promotion made him the most recognizable poker player in the world for years.
Slim and Doyle are far from the only poker players to put Texas on the map. In fact, the year that Slim won his WSOP championship, every other player at the table besides Pearson was from Texas. Although the poker boom has produced champions from all over the world, the contribution of Texas poker players to the landscape will never be forgotten.