Brunson vs Berland
World Series of Poker, Main Event, 1977. The final hand.
A legend at the 1977 final table
Why it is famous
Doyle Brunson won the 1977 Main Event with ten-deuce, a year after winning the 1976 title with the same hand. He used the money to publish Super/System. The story is famous because it is unlikely, not because ten-deuce is worth playing.
What to take from it
Ten-deuce is a bad hand that won twice. Remember the story, not the hand.
The hand
Brunson 10♠2♥
Berland 8♥5♣
Before the flop
Blinds are posted. Brunson has the button.
Brunson calls.
Berland checks.
The flop
Board 10♦8♠5♥
Berland checks.
Brunson checks.
The turn
Board 10♦8♠5♥2♣
Berland checks.
Brunson bets.
Berland moves all in.
Brunson calls.
Everyone left is all in, so the rest of the board comes out with no more betting.
The river
Board 10♦8♠5♥2♣10♣
Brunson wins at the showdown with Full house, Tens full of Twos.
The decisions
- Brunson. Brunson has made two pair, and after a checked flop his opponent looks weak. Betting gets value from any eight, five or draw.
- Brunson. Heads-up and with the chip lead, tens and twos beat most of what a check-raise looks like here: one pair, a draw, or eights and fives. They did, and the river made it a full house. Berland had eights and fives and was behind. The river ten gave Brunson a full house.
What the sources do not say. No bet sizes, blinds or stacks are documented for this hand. It is told as a story, with no chip amounts. In 1976 Brunson also won with ten-deuce, getting all in against a better hand and filling up on the river. Sources disagree on which street the money went in, so that hand is not played here.
Sources
Practise it in 5 minutes Play this hand, one decision at a time.
Quads is for adults, 18 and over. It teaches with play chips only: there is no real money, ever.