BY TOM SOMACH

Is poker greatness in the genes?

Or does just growing up in a poker environment of greatness ensure some of that greatness will rub off?

Whatever the explanation, the phenomenom of like father, like child–first with a son, now with a daughter–is alive and well in poker’s royal family, the Brunsons.

Pamela Brunson, daughter of 10-time WSOP bracelet-winner Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson and brother of one-time WSOP bracelet-winner Todd Brunson, has won her first poker tournament.

The event, the fifth annual Ladies Night tournament, recently concluded at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, Calif., USA.

According to an account of the action, Pamela started the second day of the tourney in the final 18, with a low chip stack, but managed to double it via the chip leader several times, finally taking the leader out and making herself the leader and then winner.

Papa Doyle even chimed in with some advice for her as she battled for the title: “Don’t be afraid to go broke.”

As winner of the event, Pamela has been invited to play in the televised World Poker Tour (WPT) Ladies Night, on Aug. 31st, with five top female poker pros: Linda Johnson, Mimi Tran, Kristy Gazes, Melissa Hayden and defending WPT Ladies Night champ, J.J. Liu.

The WPT Ladies Night champion is to receive a $25,000 seat into the biggest event on the poker circuit, the WPT World Championship at the Bellagio hotel and casino in Las Vegas in April, 2008.

This upcoming WPT Ladies Night lineup is expected to be the toughest one since the first one featured Clonie Gowen, Annie Duke, Kathy Liebert, Evelyn Ng, Jennifer Harman and Maureen Feduniak.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)