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Cancer Surgery Successful, Poker Legend Doyle Brunson Says

10-Time WSOP Bracelet Winner Had Melanoma Removed

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Poker legend Doyle Brunson had surgery this week to remove cancerous growths on the skin on the top of his head, and he said on Twitter Monday that it’s “all clear.”

Brunson announced early last month that he needed the surgery. It was the third time he has had melanoma taken care of, but at 81 years of age Brunson admitted that he needed to run well at the Phoenix, Arizona hospital. Fortunately he did.

The operation was the 12th major surgery of his life, according to the 10-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner. Brunson announced last year that he is done playing in the WSOP due to his age. He said he can’t play tournaments that demand that many hours of poker in a single day. Brunson still is a regular in the biggest cash games in Las Vegas, however. According to all that he has said, he’ll be playing poker as long as he possibly can.

Brunson Tweeted a photo of his head after the surgery.

Two days later it occurred to him that fellow poker pro Daniel Negreanu might be secretly trying to “extract some poker knowledge” from his brain, like the scientist-marines attempt to do to the “brain bug” in the 1997 movie “Starship Troopers.” Obviously, Brunson was just joking, but that is a good sign that he was in good spirits shortly after cancer surgery.