Doyle Brunson on Backing in Poker: 'I Never Ended a Year in the Red'

Doyle Brunson, the legendary poker player, has shared his thoughts on the practice of 'backing' in poker. Backing is when someone provides a player with money to play, often splitting the winnings later. Brunson believes that if a player needs backing, they are likely a losing player, making it a poor investment.

Brunson has only once allowed someone to back him, when he was 25 years old. He was playing in Brownsville, Texas, and had lost all his money to amateur players. The host, a player named Skit, gave him $200. A few hours later, Brunson had $1,800, and he and Skit were in the same hand. Brunson had Qh Qs, and Skit had Ad 4d. The flop was Qd Jd 2c. When Brunson went all-in, Skit hesitated before calling, saying, 'Damn, Doyle, I'll still get half back if you win.' Skit caught a flush, and Brunson was left with nothing. This was the last time Brunson played with backing.

Brunson has been offered backing many times, including a proposal to share 15% of his annual winnings. He refused, stating that he has never ended a year in the red in his 50-year career. Many of his acquaintances, however, play with backing.