Barry Greenstein
Encyclopedia
Barry Greenstein is a professional poker
player. He has won a number of major events, including three at the World Series of Poker
and two on the World Poker Tour
. Greenstein donates his profit from tournament winnings to charities, primarily Children, Incorporated
, earning him the nickname "the Robin Hood
of poker". He was elected into the Poker Hall of Fame
in 2011.
from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
. He studied for a PhD in mathematics, but never defended his completed dissertation.
According to his book, Ace on the River, Greenstein was doing well playing poker, but figured a more conventional job would improve his chances of adopting his stepchildren, so he went to work for the new startup company Symantec
, where he worked on their first product Q&A. He left the company in 1991 at age 36.
Greenstein has two children and four stepchildren, and he resides in Rancho Palos Verdes, California
. His stepson, Joe Sebok
, with whom he started PokerRoad, a poker strategy and entertainment website, is also a professional poker player.
and all six seasons of the GSN
series High Stakes Poker
. He has also appeared in the first three seasons of the late night series Poker After Dark
on NBC
. Greenstein has also won two World Poker Tour (WPT) titles: the Fifth Annual Jack Binion
World Poker Open ($1,278,370), and 2006 WPT Invitational at the Commerce Casino
($100,000). He has also won two other WPT titles in special events: WPT Father and Sons Tournament, 2006 World Poker Finals; and WPT Poker by the Book: Chapter 2. As of 2008, he began donating his net winnings to charity. At the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP), Greenstein cashed in six events for a total of $768,461. He also finished second in the 2008 WSOP Player of the Year standings, behind Erick Lindgren
. In 2011, Greenstein cashed five times at the World Series of Poker, including a 3rd place in the $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship for $169,512 and a 15th place in the $50,000 Player's Championship.
In 2005, Greenstein wrote a book titled Ace on the River. Tuan Le
, a WPT Season 3 champion, claims that book showed him how to succeed on the poker circuit. Greenstein is known for giving away a free copy of his book to the player who eliminates him in a tournament, including his autograph and details of the hand. Greenstein taught former girlfriend Mimi Tran
how to play poker in exchange for her teaching him how to speak Vietnamese
. He also plays online at PokerStars
, under the alias "barryg1" and is a member of the cardroom
's Team PokerStars.
He accepted a bet of $10,000 from 2+2 Poker Forums to say "lol donkaments" on an episode of High Stakes Poker
, which he did after winning a hand against Erick Lindgren
. After the initial $10,000, he also received a further $45,000 in donations from other charitable poker players who were amused by the bet.
As of 2011, his total live tournament winnings exceed $7,500,000. His 52 WSOP cashes account for $2,676,821 of those winnings.
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player. He has won a number of major events, including three at the World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
and two on the World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
. Greenstein donates his profit from tournament winnings to charities, primarily Children, Incorporated
Children, Incorporated
Children, Incorporated is a non-profit 501 international child sponsorship organization based in Richmond, Virginia.Children, Incorporated was founded in 1964 by Jeanne Clarke Wood, daughter of the noted philanthropists Dr. and Mrs. J...
, earning him the nickname "the Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
of poker". He was elected into the Poker Hall of Fame
Poker Hall of Fame
The Poker Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional poker playing in the United States. Founded and located in Las Vegas, Nevada, it was created in 1979 by Benny Binion, the owner of the Horseshoe Casino, to preserve the names and legacies of the world's greatest poker players and to serve...
in 2011.
Personal life
After graduating from Bogan High School, he earned a bachelor degree in computer scienceComputer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. He studied for a PhD in mathematics, but never defended his completed dissertation.
According to his book, Ace on the River, Greenstein was doing well playing poker, but figured a more conventional job would improve his chances of adopting his stepchildren, so he went to work for the new startup company Symantec
Symantec
Symantec Corporation is the largest maker of security software for computers. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 stock market index.-History:...
, where he worked on their first product Q&A. He left the company in 1991 at age 36.
Greenstein has two children and four stepchildren, and he resides in Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Rancho Palos Verdes is a city in Los Angeles County, California that was incorporated on September 7, 1973. The population was 41,643 at the 2010 census...
. His stepson, Joe Sebok
Joe Sebok
Joe Sebok is a professional poker player from San Francisco, California. His stepfather, Barry Greenstein, is also a professional poker player. He is known as "The Cub" because he calls Greenstein "Bear." Beginning professional play in 2005, as of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed...
, with whom he started PokerRoad, a poker strategy and entertainment website, is also a professional poker player.
Poker career
Greenstein has appeared in each of the first three series of Poker Superstars Invitational TournamentPoker Superstars Invitational Tournament
The Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament is a series of no limit Texas hold 'em poker tournaments. The first season is available on NTSC DVD. It airs on Fox Sports Net in the United States, Rogers Sportsnet in Canada and ftn in the United Kingdom.-Crew:...
and all six seasons of the GSN
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
series High Stakes Poker
High Stakes Poker
High Stakes Poker is a cash game poker television program broadcast by the cable television network GSN in the United States. The poker variant played on the show is no limit Texas hold 'em. It premiered on January 16, 2006 and ended on December 17, 2007 and it returns back on March 1, 2009 and is...
. He has also appeared in the first three seasons of the late night series Poker After Dark
Poker After Dark
Poker After Dark was an hour-long poker television program on NBC. The show made its debut on January 1, 2007, and was cancelled as another victim of the "Black Friday" criminal case due to the show's sponsorship by Full Tilt Poker, one of that case's defendants. on September 23, 2011 For its first...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. Greenstein has also won two World Poker Tour (WPT) titles: the Fifth Annual Jack Binion
Jack Binion
Jack Binion is an American casino operator. Jack is the son of casino magnate Benny Binion and worked for his father at Binion's Horseshoe, a casino and hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.- Biography :...
World Poker Open ($1,278,370), and 2006 WPT Invitational at the Commerce Casino
Commerce Casino
Commerce Casino is a cardroom located in the Los Angeles suburb of Commerce. With over 240 tables on site, Commerce Casino is the largest cardroom in the world...
($100,000). He has also won two other WPT titles in special events: WPT Father and Sons Tournament, 2006 World Poker Finals; and WPT Poker by the Book: Chapter 2. As of 2008, he began donating his net winnings to charity. At the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP), Greenstein cashed in six events for a total of $768,461. He also finished second in the 2008 WSOP Player of the Year standings, behind Erick Lindgren
Erick Lindgren
Erick A. Lindgren is an American professional poker player. He has won two World Poker Tour titles, one World Series of Poker bracelet, and more than seven million dollars in tournament earnings during his poker career.-Poker career:He won his first major tournament at the Bellagio in 2002 and...
. In 2011, Greenstein cashed five times at the World Series of Poker, including a 3rd place in the $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship for $169,512 and a 15th place in the $50,000 Player's Championship.
In 2005, Greenstein wrote a book titled Ace on the River. Tuan Le
Tuan Le
Tuan Le is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player, known for his aggression and risk-taking....
, a WPT Season 3 champion, claims that book showed him how to succeed on the poker circuit. Greenstein is known for giving away a free copy of his book to the player who eliminates him in a tournament, including his autograph and details of the hand. Greenstein taught former girlfriend Mimi Tran
Mimi Tran
Thithi "Mimi" Tran is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player.- Biography :Tran was born in Nha Trang, Vietnam. After moving to the United States in 1982, Tran found work in the electronics industry in Silicon Valley. She began playing poker in 1989, after an auto accident left her...
how to play poker in exchange for her teaching him how to speak Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
. He also plays online at PokerStars
PokerStars
PokerStars is the largest online poker cardroom in the world. PokerStars' satellite tournaments produced the 2003 World Series of Poker champion, Chris Moneymaker. 1983 champion Tom McEvoy, 2005 champion Joe Hachem, 2009 champion Joe Cada and 2010 champion Jonathan Duhamel and others also represent...
, under the alias "barryg1" and is a member of the cardroom
Cardroom
A cardroom or card room is a gaming establishment that exclusively offers card games for play by the public. The term poker room is generally synonymous, since the gambling games played in such establishments are typically, and sometimes exclusively, variations of poker such as Texas hold 'em.Such...
's Team PokerStars.
He accepted a bet of $10,000 from 2+2 Poker Forums to say "lol donkaments" on an episode of High Stakes Poker
High Stakes Poker
High Stakes Poker is a cash game poker television program broadcast by the cable television network GSN in the United States. The poker variant played on the show is no limit Texas hold 'em. It premiered on January 16, 2006 and ended on December 17, 2007 and it returns back on March 1, 2009 and is...
, which he did after winning a hand against Erick Lindgren
Erick Lindgren
Erick A. Lindgren is an American professional poker player. He has won two World Poker Tour titles, one World Series of Poker bracelet, and more than seven million dollars in tournament earnings during his poker career.-Poker career:He won his first major tournament at the Bellagio in 2002 and...
. After the initial $10,000, he also received a further $45,000 in donations from other charitable poker players who were amused by the bet.
World Series of Poker Bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 2004 World Series of Poker The 2004 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe after Harrah's Entertainment purchased the casino and the rights to the tournament in January... |
$5,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw Draw (poker) A poker player is drawing if they have a hand that is incomplete and needs further cards to become valuable. The hand itself is called a draw or drawing hand. For example, in seven-card stud, if four of a player's first five cards are all spades, but the hand is otherwise weak, they are drawing to... |
$296,200 |
| 2005 2005 World Series of Poker The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the... |
$1,500 Pot Limit Omaha | $128,505 |
| 2008 2008 World Series of Poker The 2008 World Series of Poker was the 39th annual World Series of Poker . Held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, the series began on May 30, 2008, and featured 55 poker championships in several variants. All events but the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Texas hold... |
$1,500 Razz Razz (poker) Razz is a form of stud poker that is normally played for ace-to-five low . The object of Razz is to make the lowest possible five-card hand from the seven cards you are dealt. In Razz, straights and flushes do not count against the player for low, and the ace usually plays low... |
$157,619 |
As of 2011, his total live tournament winnings exceed $7,500,000. His 52 WSOP cashes account for $2,676,821 of those winnings.