Negreanu called Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey "natural rivals" in the poker world.

Daniel Negreanu shared a funny story about Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey at Shadow Creek Golf Course on the PokerNews Podcast, saying the two were like "natural enemies." Doyle Brunson's day was held on October 2nd.

Three and a half years after Doyle Brunson's death, Daniel Negreanu shared one of his most unforgettable memories with the godfather of poker, a story that took place on a golf course in Las Vegas and also involved another poker legend, Phil Ivey.

In a recent interview with the PokerNews Podcast, Negreanu spoke about his friend Brunson, who passed away in May 2023. Others who knew Brunson also paid tribute to the poker legend today on "Doyle Brunson Day." This date, October 2nd, honors Brunson's iconic 10-2 hand.

"Deep mutual respect"

According to Negreanu, Brunson and Ivey had a close but contentious relationship. Their constant arguments and contrasting personalities reminded Negreanu of the 1970s sitcom "The Odd Couple," which tells the story of two very different men forced to share an apartment.

"They would argue and seem to hate each other, but they had... a deep respect for one another," Negreanu recalled.

According to Negreanu, the two gamblers spent money like water in casinos, but were extremely competitive when betting against each other. On one occasion at the famous Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas, they spent so much time arguing about handicaps that they ultimately missed their round.

"They were arguing about half a stroke, whether you were giving a four-stroke or four and a half," Negreanu said. "The arguments usually lasted about five to ten minutes. By around three in the afternoon, you finally realized we couldn't play today because neither of them would give in."

Negreanu also mentioned Brunson's impressive poker knowledge, which he possessed long before the era of GTO poker strategies.

“He was the original solver,” Negreanu said. “He took a pencil and a piece of paper, fired AK against 5 a hundred times, and saw how many times AK won… So he was doing cutting-edge research that we take for granted today.”

Other Doyle Brunson tributes

Negreanu is not the only one who still misses Brunson three and a half years after his death.

Brunson's X account has been converted into the "Doyle Brunson Legacy" page, and a series of "Doyle quotes" were published a few days before Doyle Brunson Day.

"When you play poker, you have two choices: accept or fold," one of Brunson's quotes reads.

The account also shared a 2023 video in which Brian Balsbaugh of Poker Royalty—Brunson's agent—explained the significance of Doyle Brunson Day.

"On Doyle Brunson Day, I think we celebrate poker. I think we play poker, celebrate this person, and commemorate his life every year on October 2nd."

Poker media veteran Robbie Strazynski wrote down his three most memorable moments with Brunson, including an interview he gave for Cardplayer Lifestyle in April 2020; while fellow poker journalist Tim Duckworth shared a copy of "Super System" autographed by the poker legend.

Another poker media veteran, Jesse Fullen, also paid tribute with several photos, including an interview with Brunson and "a few interesting pieces of content" he produced with him.

These included traveling to Brunson's home in Las Vegas to help him record narration for his autobiography, and traveling to Longworth, Texas to watch Brunson's college basketball trophy.

"I never got to play poker with this guy, but I had the opportunity to talk to him about poker on several occasions," the former PokerNews social media manager wrote.

To learn more about Brunson's legacy, check out this 2023 interview with a dozen of his most knowledgeable poker players, as well as the PokerNews video earlier this year that looks back on Brunson's iconic life.

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