Doyle Brunson, a living legend of the game and Poker Hall of Famer, tweeted that he will be passing on tournament play at the WSOP this summer.
At 79 years old, Brunson, who won the event in 1976 and 1977, said age was catching up with him.
Brunson finished 17th in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, the last time he would place in the money, taking home £31,198. The last of his 10 gold bracelets came in the 2005, accompanied by a $367,800 jackpot, which at the time was one of the largest cash wins of his career, propelling him amongst the all time greats of the game.
Plaudits for the aging poker master have trickled in across the web. In its article on Boyle’s semi-retirement, the website Poker News Daily said, “During the better part of the last decade, one of the highlights of the WSOP has been the day Brunson sits down at the Main Event. The eyes of the room are always trained on him, as everyone wants to see if it is going to be the year he makes a deep run. And when he does finally get knocked out, he always gets a standing ovation upon his departure.”
The last time he made the money in the traditional WSOP Main Event was in 2004 when he placed 53rd.
