Yorky Pud

Just weeks after the sad news that Chad Brown had undergone surgery to remove a 10lb tumour from his abdomen one of the true legends of the game has revealed he has also recently had an operation to remove a tumour, though this one was found in his arm.

Doyle Brunson keeps a blog on the Card Player site and it was on here that he informed his fans of his recent surgical procedure. The 77-year old explained how is dermatologist phoned him up one morning a couple of weeks ago and told Brunson that he had found a melanoma in his left arm that would require urgent attention. Brunson then booked himself into the M.D Anderson cancer hospital in Houston, Texas, where he had been a patient almost 50 years ago.

Late in 1962, doctors discovered a tumour in Brunson's neck and when they operated to remove it they found the cancer had spread and declared the cancer terminal, giving him between three and six months to live. Miraculously, when Brunson went for a further check-up doctors could find no trace of the cancer, calling it “spontaneous remission” and it was this miracle that sparked Brunson's strong Christian faith.

The 10-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner spent two days undergoing various tests at the state of the art hospital before having a three-hour operation that has left him with a large scar. Brunson was his usual jovial self and even managed to crack a joke saying, “I have an eight inch scar where they excised flesh. I'm afraid Cameron Diaz won't make any more movies with me now.”

Brunson returned to his Las Vegas home after just one day recovery time but he still had to wait another week to find out if the cancer had spread, one of the major problems with cancer. Thankfully Brunson received another phonecall explaining how the pathology report on the three lymph nodes removed at the time of his operation had come back negative and all that was required of him now was to recuperate and have another check-up in around six months. The man known as “Texas Dolly” was obviously delighted to hear the news but was also philosophical too, telling his fans, “Something like this helps get your priorities straight. Someone caught a two outer at the river against you? Big deal, just be thankful if you have your health.”

Many people in the industry have questioned Brunson's ability to keep playing poker at the highest level, mainly due to his age, and this latest setback will add more fuel to the rumours that he is about to retire from the game. He was due to appear on the PokerStars Big Game and at the NBC Heads Up Poker Championship but he has officially pulled out of these until he has fully recovered. “Winning bracelets and poker tournaments aren't as important to me as they were a few weeks ago,” stated Brunson.

Everyone at Betfair, myself included, would like to wish Mr Brunson a speedy recovery back to full health.