WSOP Legends: Brunson, Roberts, Preston by Jaokim 05/24/2007
In the long and illustrious history of the World Series of
Poker, there are legends and there are LEGENDS. A very short list can be complied, including only the names of those individuals who have not simply won huge amounts of money at the greatest poker tournament ever invented, but who managed to leave an indelible impact upon the game itself. These are the people who serve as inspirations for all the younger players who sit at home learning the game on the Internet, dreaming of a chance to sit at the final table in the WSOP main event.
Any list of bona fide legends would have to start with a guy by the name of Doyle Brunson. Truly a walking institution, he embodies the game of poker more than any other human being. Born in Longworth, Texas in 1933, Brunson had forgotten more about poker by the time he reached puberty than most of us will ever know. Making a ferocious name for himself on the rounder circuit as a young man, Brunson was destined for unparalleled success at the big-time tables of Vegas.
Of his many feats, few are more impressive than winning back-to-back consecutive
Texas Holdem main events at the WSOP in 1976 and 1977. Brunson now owns no less than ten World Series of Poker bracelets, an honor he shares only with the great Johnny Chan. Still going strong year after year, the man with the funny nickname ("Texas Dolly," given to him by Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder) just keeps getting better with age.
One of Brunson's colleagues from the early days of the World Series of Poker also deserves special mention. Brian "Sailor" Roberts also racked up a mean reputation as a rounder before settling into the pro circuit. It was in 1975, the fifth year of the WSOP's existence, that "Sailor" earned his second WSOP bracelet by winning the main event and taking home $210,000 in the process.
Roberts remained a potent figure on the tournament scene for some time, and his deep friendship with icons such as Brunson and Benny Binion served him well through good times and bad. Ultimately, a lingering case of hepatitis proved more than he could beat, but he left behind a rich legacy as a true legend of the WSOP.
Right up there in the same rarified company as Brunson and Roberts is the man with perhaps the most famous nickname in all of poker. Thomas "Amarillo Slim" Preston has lived a life defined by wild and sometimes unbelievable antics, both at the green felt and away from it. He still draws a large and appreciative crowd whenever he shows up at an event, he knows how to work the audience like a master, and he's not a stranger to profitable poker strategy.
It was in 1972 that Slim made his biggest impression at the
World Series of Poker, taking home the main event prize after a grueling slug-fest with many of the best in the game at that time. Whether hobnobbing with former presidents Johnson and Nixon or getting kidnapped by drug lord Pablo Escobar in a case of mistaken identity, Slim is one legend who's never known a dull moment.
WSOP Legends: Duke, Liebert, Harman by Joakim 06/12/2007
It is an unfortunate but undeniable fact that, historically speaking, women have not been proportionally represented in the
World Series of Poker. Due to a broad range of factors, the tournament scene has largely been a male-dominated environment, at least in the majority of instances. The good news is female players have been coming on strong in recent years, and that trend is only continuing to gather strength. As the democratization of poker opens up the game to segments of the population who may have previously been excluded for any number of reasons, the odds that we will soon have the first-ever woman champion of the WSOP seems like a virtual certainty.
Already, the ranks of female players are populated by individuals who can easily be designated as legends. Annie Duke must be placed at the very top of this lest. More than just a deadly competitor at she green felt, she is a prolific and highly lauded author and software designer.
Poker is something of a family affair for Annie. Her brother Howard "The Professor" Lederer is among the most respected
poker strategy thinkers out there. In the year 2000, Annie made a big impression by finishing tenth in the World Series of Poker main event (and she was eight months pregnant at the time!) Four years later, she took home $2,000,000 in the inaugural WSOP Tournament of Champions. Annie also owns a World Series of Poker bracelet and greater than $3 million in tournament play.
Another female player with a huge fan base is the great Kathy Liebert. She first launched into the public eye in the memorable year ofd 2002, when she took home all the chips at the Party Poker Million Event. Kathy has gone on to earn a seat at many final tables on the World Poker Tour, including a third place finish at the 2005 Borgata Poker Open. She's the proud owner of one WSOP bracelet and has collected more prize money in open field tournament play than any other woman in poker history.
When it comes to sheer heart, few players of either gender can compare with Jennifer Harman. She is an amazingly tenacious competitor, who understands both the mechanical and psychological elements of poker better than almost anyone else. This WSOP legend won her first WSOP bracelet in 2000's no-limit deuce to 7 low ball event. Two short years later, she took home another bracelet at the $5,000 limit Texas Holdem table.
Making Harman's accomplishments all the more impressive is that she's had to overcome so many personal hurdles in recent years. In 2004 she had to take a year-long hiatus to deal with a kidney transplant, her second. Bouncing back with amazing speed, she won the World Poker Tour Five-Diamond World Poker Classic and placed second in the WSOP Las Vegas Circuit Championship event. Without question, this is a player who never quits. It seems only a matter of time before Jennifer Harman, or one of her many sisters in the growing realm of female poker legends, takes home all the chips at the World Series of Poker. Jennifer is part of the
Full Tilt Poker team.