RIP Doyle joke getting a little bit too close to not being a joke

[Dan Druff]

Embedded Tweet

https://twitter.com/TexDolly/status/1469383416411877376

Brunson is 88.

He and Tommy Lasorda have/had a lot in common:

- Very overweight for most of adult life

- General unhealthy lifestyle

- Very well known and beloved in their respective fields, despite some known flaws

- Conservative politically

- Known to be outspoken and brash

- Looked old from a relatively young age

- Somehow lives/lived a long time, despite the odds highly saying otherwise, and despite various major health scares


Lasorda's luck finally ran out in January.

Doyle is so far beating the odds, though he's 6 years younger than Lasorda.

Overall I like Doyle, and think he's a charming ambassador for the game, but I have to imagine that time is running short.

[Dan Druff]

Pneumonia for old people is very serious business.

Kills a ton of them each year. In fact, some of the COVID deaths were actually pneumonia, but the pneumonia is attributed to have been brought on by COVID, so it's ruled a COVID death anyway. There was some controversy about this, because there were obviously some pneumonia deaths which had nothing to do with COVID, but the person tested positive for COVID anyway, and it was ruled a COVID death.

Anyway, I don't want to get into COVID controversy here, but until Doyle is substantially better, he's not out of the woods.

My grandmother on my mom's side almost died in her 60s of pneumonia, mostly because she didn't take it seriously enough until it was too late. As you can imagine my (relatively young) mom was very upset about it at the time, and really thought she was going to lose her. I was a little kid at the time, but I remember it. Anyway, though she came very close to dying, she ended up pulling through, and lived about 20 more years.

But you can't fuck around with pneumonia, especially if you're older.

[vegetera]

My grandfather died of it when he was 90

[Sloppy Joe]

Is there a good summation of Doyle controversies that Druff alludes to?

I vaguely remember some stuff about his boom-era poker room being crooked but nothing else comes to mind.

[Dan Druff]

Is there a good summation of Doyle controversies that Druff alludes to?

I vaguely remember some stuff about his boom-era poker room being crooked but nothing else comes to mind.

He sometimes spouts off some stuff on Twitter which is basically forgiven because he's old and he's Doyle.

I actually haven't heard Doyle's Room (his 2000s online poker room) was crooked. It was eventually sold to another network.

Most of the old school poker guys have some skeletons in the closet. Was par for the course in those days, and people generally accept it as not a huge deal. Back then, the game was small, and there weren't internet forums, YouTube, or Twitter to make drama out of things.

I'm not implying that Doyle is highly scandal-ridden. He isn't. Just saying that his rep isn't 100% clean, but people look past it because of the era he's from.

[limitles]

Embedded Tweet

https://twitter.com/TexDolly/status/1469383416411877376

Brunson is 88.

He and Tommy Lasorda have/had a lot in common:

- Very overweight for most of adult life

- General unhealthy lifestyle

- Very well known and beloved in their respective fields, despite some known flaws

- Conservative politically

- Known to be outspoken and brash

- Looked old from a relatively young age

- Somehow lives/lived a long time, despite the odds highly saying otherwise, and despite various major health scares


Lasorda's luck finally ran out in January.

Doyle is so far beating the odds, though he's 6 years younger than Lasorda.

Overall I like Doyle, and think he's a charming ambassador for the game, but I have to imagine that time is running short.

Your thread title references a Doyle joke but you don't explain what that joke is? What is the joke you're referencing?

[BCR]

Is there a good summation of Doyle controversies that Druff alludes to?

I vaguely remember some stuff about his boom-era poker room being crooked but nothing else comes to mind.

He sometimes spouts off some stuff on Twitter which is basically forgiven because he's old and he's Doyle.

I actually haven't heard Doyle's Room (his 2000s online poker room) was crooked. It was eventually sold to another network.

Most of the old school poker guys have some skeletons in the closet. Was par for the course in those days, and people generally accept it as not a huge deal. Back then, the game was small, and there weren't internet forums, YouTube, or Twitter to make drama out of things.

I'm not implying that Doyle is highly scandal-ridden. He isn't. Just saying that his rep isn't 100% clean, but people look past it because of the era he's from.

I’ve always heard the seventies poker era and his game with Chip Reese was basically all the old pros rolling whatever whale got interested in poker on a given year. Actual cheating. Cameras in ceiling shit, not just games built around a whale.

Involvement with the organized crime element in town.

It seemed like there was enough old guys from that era who confirmed it, but I can’t say it’s certainly true. I think in many ways that’s always been poker. Half the time they were rolling drug guys or some middle eastern oil heir

You seem to be referring to something some old guy says that’s politically incorrect. Not even aware of that or care. I have always gave old people a pass. I’ll need old myself at that age.

I think he’s the type who was just always a hustler. Golf or poker or anything else, if you weren’t one of his guys, he was going to angle you. That was pretty much the definition of a professional gambler before 2000. When Joan Rivers tore into Annie Duke back in the Apprentice Days, that was the general sentiment if you were a Vegas regular like Joan was playing so many shows there when we were kids

[BetCheckBet]

People forget but Doyle was actually a pretty damn good athlete. He likely was blessed with genes that allowed him to live such a shitty lifestyle until his 90s

[Sloppy Joe]

Is there a good summation of Doyle controversies that Druff alludes to?

I vaguely remember some stuff about his boom-era poker room being crooked but nothing else comes to mind.

He sometimes spouts off some stuff on Twitter which is basically forgiven because he's old and he's Doyle.

I actually haven't heard Doyle's Room (his 2000s online poker room) was crooked. It was eventually sold to another network.

Most of the old school poker guys have some skeletons in the closet. Was par for the course in those days, and people generally accept it as not a huge deal. Back then, the game was small, and there weren't internet forums, YouTube, or Twitter to make drama out of things.

I'm not implying that Doyle is highly scandal-ridden. He isn't. Just saying that his rep isn't 100% clean, but people look past it because of the era he's from.

I could be remembering something minor like a brief issue with payouts or something, not sure.

I do remember there was some ad putting him in front of a safe looking serious; the implication being this is who is protecting your money and its 100% secure. Someone made a crack all him being able to do is feebly hit you with his cane.

Remember seeing him roll in to the Bellagio bathroom in like '07 and thinking 'holy shit, TV cameras do amazing work'. Had him in three subsequent death pools. Guy looked on his way out like 15 years ago.

[BartHanson]

Anytime someone has pneumonia now, there has to be a high possibility that it is COVID related. I havent seen anything specially about the vaccine from him, but I know that his son, Todd Brunson is very anti-vaccine and I believe it prohibited him from playing in the WSOP this year? So I do wonder if Doyle is vaccinated. Maybe someone can shed some light.

[BetCheckBet]

Anytime someone has pneumonia now, there has to be a high possibility that it is COVID related. I havent seen anything specially about the vaccine from him, but I know that his son, Todd Brunson is very anti-vaccine and I believe it prohibited him from playing in the WSOP this year? So I do wonder if Doyle is vaccinated. Maybe someone can shed some light.

Embedded Tweet

https://twitter.com/texdolly/status/1368604297403850752

[BartHanson]

Anytime someone has pneumonia now, there has to be a high possibility that it is COVID related. I havent seen anything specially about the vaccine from him, but I know that his son, Todd Brunson is very anti-vaccine and I believe it prohibited him from playing in the WSOP this year? So I do wonder if Doyle is vaccinated. Maybe someone can shed some light.

Embedded Tweet

https://twitter.com/texdolly/status/1368604297403850752

ah cool, thanks. I think that at his age with his comorbidities being unvaxxed would be like playing russian roulette.

[tgull]

Embedded Tweet

https://twitter.com/texdolly/status/1368604297403850752

ah cool, thanks. I think that at his age with his comorbidities being unvaxxed would be like playing russian roulette.

Yet you chuck his son under the bus for no reason. What does one's son Covid stance have to do with their 90 year old Dad get pneumonia? Nothing.

[Dan Druff]

It was actually found that a lot of right wing very old people have ultimately taken the vaccine, because they don't want to die. There are a few retards in that age group who don't realize how much more dangerous COVID is to them than the vaccine, but the elderly are by far the most vaccine compliant, for obvious reasons.

That's why it's kinda lol when you see 25-year-olds bragging that they are bravely refusing the vaccine, because they think it's all a hoax. Yeah, huge risk you're taking there, when you are in an age group where almost everyone comes out the other end feeling fine. In fact, non-vaxxing at 25 might actually turn out to be the correct individual decision, health-wise.

At least the people my age are putting their ass on the line by refusing to vax. It's not smart, but at least I can say they're taking a legit risk to stand for their convictions. Still, middle aged people will tend to exit COVID without major damage, though there will be a healthy percentage ending up with lung damage or other long COVID stuff, and a small percentage who die.

If you're Doyle's age and not getting vaccinated, you're either senile or stupid.

[gimmick]

He sometimes spouts off some stuff on Twitter which is basically forgiven because he's old and he's Doyle.

I actually haven't heard Doyle's Room (his 2000s online poker room) was crooked. It was eventually sold to another network.

Most of the old school poker guys have some skeletons in the closet. Was par for the course in those days, and people generally accept it as not a huge deal. Back then, the game was small, and there weren't internet forums, YouTube, or Twitter to make drama out of things.

I'm not implying that Doyle is highly scandal-ridden. He isn't. Just saying that his rep isn't 100% clean, but people look past it because of the era he's from.

I’ve always heard the seventies poker era and his game with Chip Reese was basically all the old pros rolling whatever whale got interested in poker on a given year. Actual cheating. Cameras in ceiling shit, not just games built around a whale.

Involvement with the organized crime element in town.

It seemed like there was enough old guys from that era who confirmed it, but I can’t say it’s certainly true. I think in many ways that’s always been poker. Half the time they were rolling drug guys or some middle eastern oil heir

You seem to be referring to something some old guy says that’s politically incorrect. Not even aware of that or care. I have always gave old people a pass. I’ll need old myself at that age.

I think he’s the type who was just always a hustler. Golf or poker or anything else, if you weren’t one of his guys, he was going to angle you. That was pretty much the definition of a professional gambler before 2000. When Joan Rivers tore into Annie Duke back in the Apprentice Days, that was the general sentiment if you were a Vegas regular like Joan was playing so many shows there when we were kids

Doubt Doyle or Reese needed to cheat anyone. They were so far ahead in the game against whales. A lot of the games from that era have a huge edge against fish. NLHE, 7stud and Razz come to mind. Those games aren't even volatile with a decent edge. They become high variance with good vs mediocre and increased aggression/looseness.

NLHE is the worst offender. It just kills whales. There's few games that are worse, but they weren't popular during the 70s.

[Dan Druff]

Against fish, probably not. Against good/decent players, very possible. It was in the culture at the time.

Lots of organized crime involvement in pre-1990 poker, as well. Old school players tell stories of being pressured by scary mafia guys to sign up for backing deals they didn't really want. One guy was young and naive, and rudely told one of the mafia guys that he didn't need backing and to get the fuck out of his face. Shortly after, he realized the mistake he had made, and then the guy "politely" approached him a bit later and asked him to go for a ride. He was terrified but agreed, and thought there was a fair chance he was going to be whacked. Instead, the mafia guy said that he liked the kid's fearless attitude, and wasn't mad at him. He told the kid he understood about the backing thing, and to let him know if he ever changed his mind. Then, as the kid got out of the car, the mafia dude told him, "And if you ever talk to me that way again, you're gonna get both your fucking legs broken and left out in the desert."

This was early 1970s. Didn't involve Doyle, but thought it was a good spot for the story.

Such a different world in Vegas back then. You really had to be careful who you pissed off. I remember going to Vegas a teenager in the '80s, and was old enough at that point to notice the mafia presence and influence. This all abruptly changed when the strip suddenly got its massive makeover and rapid new corporate development in the early '90s, and the mafia was basically pushed out. By the time I was old enough to gamble, it had just become corporate.

[ftpjesus]

People forget but Doyle was actually a pretty damn good athlete. He likely was blessed with genes that allowed him to live such a shitty lifestyle until his 90s

he’s not 90 yet dude.

[The Boz]

It’s never about how long you lived, but how you lived.

That said I’m sure no one wants to die when the time comes. But some, like Doyle were fortunate enough to get both.

There are more than a few here it appears could live to 150 and have done less than the average 40 YO.

[mickeycrimm]

This is where Doyle will be buried. Palava Cemetery. There is no town there. Its just a crossroads.

[mickeycrimm]

His daughter, Doyla, and parents, John F. and Mealia Brunson are already buried there: