Brad Daugherty WSOP Winner

Updated 2008/2009
The name Brad Daugherty may bring to mind only the famed basketball player of the Cleveland Cavaliers. But there is another star of the same name who holds his own in his field. Brad Daugherty is a World Series of Poker player and his claim to fame is that he was the first man to win the one million prize award that comes with the bracelet. This prize was a long time coming for Brad.

He first started playing poker on a high school trip and since then he hasn’t stopped. He worked in the construction and the welding industry after graduation from high school. Yet he was always playing poker on the sidelines, even if the prizes were measly amounts. Through time he got perfect techniques and game in games like No-Limit Lowball and No-Limit Five Card Stud. Brad took to full time poker playing only after Doyle Brunson won his second WSOP title in 1977. He even shifted to Reno in Nevada to improve his game as the action there was much bigger and eventful than at Payette, Idaho, his hometown. He studied No-Limit Texas Hold \'Em Poker.

He considered taking up poker as a full time professional only in 1987. Till then he was working part time as a card manager. He knew he was making more money playing rather than working as a card manager, but things never went well. His marriage broke up over the rigours of a travelling poker player in 1989. His belief in his game brought him his dream though and he won the WSOP in 1991 and also became the first person to win the million dollar prize. He won the prize against Don Holt who tried calling and raising Brad all the way to the river. Brad won the tournament with just a pair of Jacks. After that win, Brad has not done much of travelling and hasn\'t won any other major tournament. Other than his maiden win, he has made cash wins at more than 40 events around the country. He plays online more frequently now and does not venture much to tournaments except the occasional large events. He had two ambitions. One was to be a poker player and the other was to write poker books. He has achieved the second one as well with the two books that he co-authored with Tom McEnvoy titled CHAMPIONSHIP SATELLITE STRATEGY and NO-LIMIT TEXAS HOLD ‘EM FOR NEW PLAYERS.

Brad Daugherty now resides at Las Vegas in Nevada with his son. He has amassed around 1,700,000 dollars in live tournament winnings. The players that he has come to respect most include Howard Lederer, Berry Johnson and Tuna Lund. He has a few interesting hobbies which include hiking with his dogs, woodworking and even computers, when not playing poker. His most recent appearance was at Caesar’s Las Vegas Poker Tournament WSOP - Circuit Event where he placed 9th and came away with $6596.00. Though not a regular, he makes his mark at all appearances. He was once quoted as saying, “I respect a lot of old-timers who has played for many, many years. Like Doyle Brunson and Johnny Moss. Actually, I have admiration for all older players. I give them good respect. These are the pioneers of poker. They have led the game to where it is now. They are the pioneers of poker.”