Player Profile - Barry Greenstein
April 08, 2007 - Deanna Goodson
Born in Chicago at the end of 1954, Barry spent afternoons after school playing cards with his mother – his dad Jack played the game in the Army as well. Despite the card shark background, his mum was surprised when he announced at the age of 20 that he was going to become a pro poker player. Obviously, her time spent with Barry left an indelible impression on him.
The young man spent years developing his poker game, playing mostly in cash games. When he turned to tournament play, it didn’t take long for him to start racking up the wins. His first place wins include the California State Poker Championship in 2003, the WSOP event, The Fifth Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open and the 2003 Million Dollar Seven Card Stud Tournament at the Larry Flynt’s Poker Cup Challenge. Greenstein also has two WSOP bracelets. The first was won in 2004 in the No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven (lowball) Draw event. The second win occurred in 2005 in $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha.
Greenstein mentors others, most notably Mimi Tran. He offered to help Tran with her game in exchange for lessons in Vietnamese. Barry wanted very much to be able to speak with all the Vietnamese players he met and played with on the road and in the casinos. Barry says his Vietnamese vocabulary has reached that of a five year old, while Mimi’s poker skills have propelled her into the top echelon of poker players. Barry often supports his pal with pride.
For the most part, when Mr. Greenstein sits down at a poker tournament he isn’t working to increase his personal holdings. He has a ton of cash game success to live off of. Rather, he gives away what he earns to a variety of charities such as Children, Inc, the March of Dimes and Guyana Watch, an organization dedicated to bringing medical supplies and assistance to this small South American country.
Barry began doing charitable works as a way to instill the sense of giving and charity in his own children that his own mother did in him. After he and his wife divorced – she had three children from a previous relationship and he wanted to adopt them. They eventually had two more together. Unfortunately, in order to adopt, Barry needed a ‘stable job.’ Poker didn’t qualify so he gave up the game for a bit and worked in software.
Barry may have remained content away from the poker world if an illness in the family hadn’t intervened. In order to support his family and still find the time to be present when and where he was needed, he turned back to poker to make a living. Eventually he and his wife divorced. Barry fought hard to win custody of his children, which he did.
Greenstein is one of the most respected and feared players in the industry. He’s aggressive, brilliant and not afraid to play. He shares his poker knowledge with everyone in his book Ace on the River: An Advanced Poker Guide and has ranked the pros he’s played with at his official web site, http://www.barrygreenstein.com.
We’re pretty sure that Barry’s star will remain on the rise for years to come – and the charities he works with will no doubt benefit from his skill, generosity and kindness. He’s a true humanitarian and a great (and welcome) addition to the game.
Note: You can often catch Barry playing online at PokerStars. Sign up to play at Pokerstars in 2007, using the Bonus Code “FIRST2007” and you can earn a sweet bonus! Click HERE for details.
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