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February 12, 2012

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Doyle Brunson advances to final eight of heads-up poker championship

Scotty Nguyen, Peter Eastgate also survive second day

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Steve Marcus

Ten-time World Series of Poker champion Doyle Brunson smiles during a Power Poker Seminar series at the Rio on Sunday June 14, 2009. Brunson is one of eight players still alive in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship at Caesars Palace.

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Saturday, March 6, 2010 | 10:54 p.m.

Beyond the Sun

Sun Coverage

For nearly 60 years, Doyle Brunson’s life has revolved around playing cards.

So, it’s easy to see how tough it was for Brunson, the foremost living legend of poker, to take a break from the game for the last three months to rest and recover from dental surgery.

Brunson decided earlier this week, however, that he would make his first appearance of 2010 and play in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship at Caesars Palace. He couldn’t stay away any longer.

“I feel like I broke out of jail,” Brunson said.

Since his release, Brunson has caused quite a ruckus. He’s flown through the first three rounds of the heads-up tournament, which will be televised on NBC in April, and is three victories away from becoming the champion of the single-elimination, bracket-style tournament at 76-years old.

Brunson will take on Dennis Phillips, who rose to fame after finishing third in the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event, in the round of eight at 10:30 a.m. Sunday to try to continue his run.

“Obviously, I would like to win,” Brunson said. “I don’t have many more chances at my age, but I just love to play.”

Brunson, who is promoting his online poker site Doyle’s Room at the tournament, knocked off actor Don Cheadle and 21-year old poker prodigy Annette Oberstad on Saturday at Caesars.

Brunson and the other seven remaining players are guaranteed at least $75,000 for making it this far in the $20,000 buy-in event.

“It just feels good to play,” Brunson said. “I think I’m playing well.”

Brunson, who has resided in Las Vegas for years after growing up in Texas, is not the only big name with local ties left in the event.

Scotty Nguyen, best known for winning the World Series of Poker Main Event in 1998, also survived two more rounds Friday.

Despite being behind nearly 3-to-1 in chips to Phil Ivey, widely considered the best in the world, Nguyen rallied from behind to knock off Ivey in the second round.

“You know, baby, there’s no one who can do anything like that except for Scotty Nguyen, baby,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen went on to beat Gabe Kaplan, poker player and actor, in the round of sixteen. He will match up against Jason Mercier, Bluff Magazine’s 2009 Player of the Year, on Sunday.

“Everybody’s got to go down for me to win,” Nguyen said. “So it don’t matter who I play, baby.”

The other players who remain in the field are: 50-year old pro Erik Seidel, 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Peter Eastgate, 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Jerry Yang and Annie "The Duchess of Poker" Duke.

It’s a stacked field, but nothing intimidates Brunson.

“Poker is nothing magical,” Brunson said. “You’ve just got to play your best and see what happens.”

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