There are many poker stars that have had legendary performances, but few have had a legendary career. One player has dominated the game more than any other; he led the creation of the modern poker era, and continues to be one of the game’s best players at the age of 72. He has been the king of poker for close to 40 years now, and he’s not about to stop anytime soon.

Doyle Brunson literally wrote the book on poker, “Super System”, and was the first top player to reveal the power of aggressive play and the importance of getting a read on your opponent’s actions and habits. He has since added the sequel to the book with “Super System 2”, and some other publications are due out soon.

His accomplishments are so numerous it would take up too much space in this article to detail them all. Some highlights include back-to-back WSOP Main Event Championships, ten WSOP Bracelets, a WPT Championship and over four million dollars in tournament earnings. Brunson plays in the highest cash games in the world, and he led the infamous “Texas Rounders” group in the 50’s and 60’s playing high-stakes poker in Texas.

His poker abilities pale in comparison to the man that he is. He has overcome situations that would destroy the average man. His spirit did not weaken after he crushed his leg at work, on the summer before he was starting his professional basketball career, or when he was diagnosed with cancer. He continued to pursue his dream of playing poker regardless of how things went along the way.

For all this he has become the ambassador of the game, and everyone cheers for Doyle if he’s sitting in. He is the face for Doyle’s Room online poker room, and he can be seen at most major tournaments. He brought poker into the mainstream, nurtured it through the changes, and continues to set an example for every player that dreams of being a top pro.