Barry Greenstein
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Barry Greenstein in the 2006 World Series of Poker |
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| Nickname(s) | The Robin Hood of Poker, The Bear |
|---|---|
| Hometown | Rancho Palos Verdes, California |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | 3 |
| Money finishes | 44 |
| Highest ITM Main Event finish |
22nd, 1992 |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Titles | 2(+2) |
| Final tables | 5(+2) |
| Money finishes | 19 |
| European Poker Tour | |
| Titles | None |
| Final tables | None |
| Money finishes | 1 |
| Information accurate as of 12 July 2009. | |
Barry Greenstein (born December 30, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois) 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. For a while, Greenstein donated his entire tournament winnings to charities, primarily Children, Incorporated, earning him the nickname "the Robin Hood of poker".[1]
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[edit] Personal life
He was exposed to poker at a young age by his father, first picking up a pack of cards at the age of 12.[2] After graduating from Bogan High School,[3] he earned a bachelor degree in computer science 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 quite well playing poker, but figured a more conventional job would improve his chances of adopting his stepchildren, so he went to work for Symantec. Contrary to a popular story, he neither founded nor owned the company. He retired from the company in 1991 at age 36 and went back to playing poker full time.[4]
Greenstein has two children and four stepchildren, and 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.
[edit] Poker career
Greenstein has appeared in each of the first three series of Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament and all five 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.[5] As of 2008, he began donating his net winnings to charity.[6] 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.[7] As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $6,900,000.[8] His 44 cashes at the WSOP account for $2,259,097 of those winnings.[9]
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 $45,000 in donations from other charitable poker players who were amused by the bet.[10]
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | $5,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw | $296,200 |
| 2005 | $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha | $128,505 |
| 2008 | $1,500 Razz | $157,619 |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Card Player Magazine feature article
- ^ Black Belt Poker Interview
- ^ Bogan High School Alumni profile
- ^ Poker Babes profile
- ^ Barry Greenstein Hendon Mob tournament results
- ^ All In Magazine: Rumor-Busting With Barry Greenstein
- ^ 2008 World Series of Poker Player of the Year Standings, worldseriesofpoker.com
- ^ Hendon Mob tournament results
- ^ World Series of Poker Earnings, worldseriesofpoker.com
- ^ 'Lol donkaments' still paying out for the kids
[edit] External links
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