Chapter 2: The Road Gambler

Doyle’s decision to pursue poker as a career was not an easy one. He faced many challenges and risks as a traveling poker player in Texas and other states. He had to deal with violence, cheating, law enforcement, and other dangers in the underground poker scene. He also had to balance his family life with his poker life. He often left his wife and children at home while he went on long road trips with other poker players.
Doyle’s adventures and challenges as a road gambler will be explored in the next chapter. This chapter has introduced Doyle Brunson’s early life and education, from his birth in Longworth, Texas, to his decision to become a professional poker player. It has shown how Doyle developed his athletic skills, his academic achievements,

His life as a nomadic poker player in Texas and other states was fraught with danger. In the underground poker scene, he faced threats from assault, dishonesty, and the law. He had to juggle his poker career with his responsibilities at home. He frequently abandoned his family for lengthy road excursions with fellow poker players, neglecting them at home.
In the 1950s, when poker was outlawed in most places and the games were operated by dubious persons, Doyle's adventures and trials as a road gambler began. Doyle and his pals would hit the road in search of poker tournaments, making stops at dives, pool halls, and even basements. They frequently faced off against aggressive yet unskilled local players. Marked cards, loaded dice, and other secret devices would be utilized by some of the opponents they faced. They had to tread carefully so as not to generate suspicion and hostility by winning too frequently or too often.

Doyle and his companions were also at risk of physical harm at the hands of the game's organizers or other participants. Occasionally they would be robbed at gunpoint, assaulted, or even shot at. They had to arm themselves and be prepared to flee at any time. They also had to avoid getting caught by the police who frequently conducted raids on the games. They paid bribes or fines to avoid

He started playing in the casinos and private clubs, where he faced some of the best poker players in the world. He also participated in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournaments, which were the most prestigious and lucrative events in the poker world. He won 10 WSOP bracelets throughout his career, including two back-to-back Main Event titles. He also influenced and shaped the WSOP and the poker world with his skill, his style, and his personality.
The WSOP was founded in 1970 by Benny Binion, the owner of Binion’s Horseshoe casino in downtown Las Vegas. Binion invited seven of the best poker players in the country to play a series of cash games at his casino, with the winner being determined by a vote. The first WSOP champion was Johnny Moss, one of Doyle’s friends and partners from his road gambler days. The following year, Binion decided to make the WSOP a tournament format, with a $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas hold 'em event as the main