Remember the scene in Forrest Gump when Tom Hanks goes on a monumental run and people start running with him? I loved it. For many years I was a long distance runner and if I get over being lazy, I may try it again.
My formative years as a journalist started in a sun-baked town in eastern New Mexico. After moving to Tucumcari, I hunted jackrabbits with a single-shot .22 rifle, chased girls, ran for miles along a canal bank to stay in shape, played poker in private games with cowboys and ranchers, and watched the magnificent sunsets that draped Tucumcari Mountain and the Llano Estacado in all the colors of the rainbow.
Running and horseback riding to explore outlaw caves conditioned my body, sharpened my mind and gave me the stamina and creative drive to write countless short stories, many of which drew rejection slips from magazine editors. But I gained knowledge as I experienced life and my articles and short stories began to sell. Almost before I knew it, I was a published writer, selling 80 percent of what I produced on my old Remington typewriter.
I like to reminisce about those early days. My youthful adventures in New Mexico, aptly nicknamed 'The Land of Enchantment,' remind me of Doyle Brunson's childhood.
Doyle was born in 1933 in Longworth, a small -- and I do mean small -- town in West Texas with a population of less than 100. As a youngster, he hunted jackrabbits that roamed the prairies of the Lone Star State. Longworth had only three industries, ranching, farming and a U.S. Gypsum plant that supported the building industry.
His father was a good provider, working for Planters Gin Co., and there was always food on the table. The Brunson family lived in a four-bedroom house that was not equipped with a bathroom. There was a wooden outhouse at the rear of their property and that could become mighty cold during the harsh Texas winters when blizzards would white-out the country and cattle would freeze to death in snow-covered fields.
Doyle made a silent promise to himself as a teenager: if he ever came into money, he would have indoor plumbing.
His mother had a strong religious faith and instilled the Golden Rule in her children. She said there was good in every person if you looked deep enough. Doyle remembered those words of wisdom after he moved to Las Vegas and played high-stakes poker with people who could cut your throat if you gave them an edge.
His dad was an even-tempered, hard working individual who never let adversity get the best of him. He told his children setbacks were part of life and that they were only temporary. Later when Doyle ran into serious cash losses at poker, golf and sports betting, he fell back on his father's teachings and, sure enough, things turned for the better.
Doyle's third-grade class had only three kids -- two boys and a girl. According to Brunson, 'We got a lot of individual attention.'
When he entered Sweetwater High School, he and two friends, D.C. Andrews and Riley Cross, tried out for the basketball team. They were accepted and became the team leaders, a triple threat that carried their high school to victory after victory.
'We spent all our spare time working out, running and swimming,' he wrote in his best-selling book, 'Super System, a Course in Power Poker.' He built himself up to the point where he could run non-stop from Longworth to a swimming hole on the Barclay Ranch, a distance of eight miles.
Sports became his life. His high school coach gave him and his friends an old station wagon so they could get to practice on time. He played baseball and joined the track team. During his senior year in 1950, he ran the mile in 4:38 and set a high school record for Texas.
After being voted the Most Valuable Player in the Border Conference, Brunson was sought after by several professional basketball teams, including the future Los Angeles Lakers. At age 18, he ran the mile in 4:18.6, making him a contender for the National Team. His future as a potential NBA super-star looked promising.
That summer he accepted a summer job at the U.S. Gypsum plant. One morning while he was unloading sheetrock at a railroad siding, the load shifted and 2,000 pounds of sheetrock moved. He tried to stop it and his right leg was crushed, effectively ending his career as an athlete.
After graduating from school, Doyle took up coaching. He quickly discovered he could earn a lot more money playing poker, so he resigned from his position and moved to Las Vegas where he became the superstar of Poker and the World Series of Poker.
What more can I say than you're the best, Texas Dolly. Keep running for glory.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
