DOYLISM OF THE DAY: "Even a woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his...

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: "Even a woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his head."

I went by the Rio thinking I might possibly play in the $1,500 Omaha 8 or better tournament. After getting there, I realized if I did well and went deep the second day, I would miss the $10,000 Mixed Games tournament tomorrow. This will be one of the better events and should be one of my strongest, so I passed.

I went by the Bellagio and played a few hours in a $1,500 - $3,000 game where I won enough to buy the new Escalade I've been wanting. The cash games are so much better for a real poker player.

Speaking of the Bellagio, they are exchanging all of the old chips for new ones. So it would be a good idea to go get the new ones if you have any old ones stashed away. There is no telling how many millions of dollars are out there in Bellagio chips because the are used everywhere as a medium of exchange not only poker players, but casino customers as well.

Coming home after playing at the Bellagio, I turned on my CD player and listened to some music. Someone had given me a Mozart recording and I have been listening to it the past couple of weeks. It is rather soothing to listen to, but I had to bust out laughing. Here I was, Doyle Brunson, from a cotton farm in West Texas listening to classical music. I grew up listening to Hank Williams, Roy Acuff, Red Foley and the rest of the Grand Ole Opry. As I got older, I switched to the gals that sang country - Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Barbara Mandrell. I'm going back to my roots and putting some country western songs back in my car.

Poker has come such a long way. It's nice to be recognized and treated as a celebrity, but it has its downside. Several times when we have a 15 minute break every two hours, I can't get to the bathroom because people want autographs and pictures taken. It's a no-win situation. After missing one break, if you refuse to sign a magazine or take a picture, someone will say, "See, he thinks he's a big shot." You want to turn around and say, "No, I really don't think that, I just need to pee." But you don't and you just hope most people understand your bladder can only hold so much! -DB