Professional Poker Players and Celebrities


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Barry Greenstein

Barry Greenstein

Interviews:

2012 WCOOP Interview

2011 PokerStars 10 Year Interview

2005 WSOP Interview

Residence:

Southern California / Las Vegas

Birthdate:

30 December 1954

Career Highlights:

  • 3 WSOP Bracelets
  • 2008 WSOP Event 23 Razz, 1st ($157,619)
  • 2008 WSOP Event 45 HORSE Championship, 6th ($355,200)
  • 2011 WSOP Limit Hold'em Championship, 3rd ($169,512)
  • Nearly $8 million in career tournament earnings.
  • Arguably the best old school cash game player of all time.
  • Affiliated Poker Room(s):

    PokerStars

    Personal Website:

    BarryGreenstein.com

    Products:

    Ace on the River Book


    How do you feel an online series like the WCOOP compares to a live series such as WPT or WSOP? Which do you prefer to play?
    I like having the best of both worlds, live and online. The WSOP, WCOOP, and SCOOP are my three favorite tournament series. The WSOP has it's great history which brings the combination of all the best live and online players. However, there is no denying that tournaments can be run more efficiently online than live, and you can even play in multiple events at the same time when you're playing online.

    Do you make any changes in your game when approaching a WCOOP event compared to any other online MTT?
    I don't other than taking the WCOOP events more seriously. The prizepool is always great and the tournament schedule is slower, so I know I need to be rested for a possible deep run.

    Other than the Main Event, what individual WCOOP tournament would you like to win the most? Why?
    The big mixed game is an event I always target since I pride myself in being a complete poker player who can compete with the best at all forms of poker. This event always brings out the best players in the world.

    If you were suddenly in charge of running the WCOOP what changes would you make to improve the series?
    Fortunately, I do get to consult on changes in the WCOOP with the main guy in charge of the WCOOP. I called him a couple of weeks ago to give him suggestions from some high limit players. Unfortunately, it was 3am in London when I called. He politely asked if I could wait a few minutes so he could get out of his bedroom and talk to me without waking his wife up. The bottom line is we are always looking for ways to maintain the WCOOP as the state of the art in tournaments.

    What's your guess for the final number of runners in the WCOOP Main Event? Do you feel it will shatter the 1,000 player mark?
    I have intentionally been avoiding railing the WCOOP events since, as an American, I'm not allowed to play in them. I'm painfully aware that I'm missing out on a lot of fun. I don't want to speculate on how many people are having it instead of me.

    What type of playing environment do you maintain while playing poker online? Do you approach your online play as work, for instance, and dedicate part of your home to working on your craft without distraction? Do you adjust your environment when the stakes or prize pools are larger than usual?
    My environment is the same as for when I'm playing online. If I make a deep run, my girlfriend is more likely to have food prepared for me at regular intervals, although she plays some WCOOP events also.

    Whenever online poker becomes a reality in the US, do you think there will be another boom?
    I expect so, as long as the global economy continues to improve also.

    Which one skill or technique do you think you possess over your standard opposition?
    I think I'm mentally very strong. There are always bad beats in poker and you have to be resilient.

    What do you do when not playing poker? What are your favorite hobbies to take your mind off of the game?
    When I was younger I was a golfer. Now I play bridge online, often while I'm playing poker.

    Favorite movie? TV Show?
    I don't watch much television, outside of sports. My favorite movies from the past are Rain Man, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Being There.

    What is your favorite city to visit?
    I like visiting all the cities that hold EPTs. I'm looking forward to having the problem of bringing a trophy back through airport security.



    Barry Greenstein won the Pot Limit Omaha event at the 2005 WSOP. Some say that Barry Greenstein has won more cash in ring games over the last decade than any other poker pro. Here is what Barry says about the subject on his website:
    As I mentioned in my analysis of them, Doyle Brunson and Chip Reese are the Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus of poker. They have played in the biggest games in Las Vegas for thirty years. I have played in the biggest games available for the last decade and have probably won the most money. Poker is played for bigger stakes now, and just like on the PGA, the younger players have an opportunity to eclipse the money records of the older pros. Phil Ivey, the most talented young player around, will probably eventually pass us all in terms of career money winnings.


    Intro by Eric Sprague:
    Barry Greenstein is one of the best poker players in the world and we wanted to learn more about him. I did some research and put together a list of initial questions. Tyson helped refine the questions and add new ones. We hope you enjoy the questions and answers below.

    FTR:
    1. Players talk about playing their best game regardless of the stakes but money influences psychology. Do you ever play low stakes games, whether in person or online, and are you able to treat chips like widgets in both your low and high stakes games? Living in Southern California, where and how often do you play? Has your own celebrity status affected your high-stakes ring games? (Do tourists recognize you and run away?)

    Barry Greenstein:
    I always try hard. I have occasionally sat in a lower-stakes game than I normally play in, while eating lunch. Players have commented that they expected me to have fun and throw off some money. In my way of thinking, competition is only good if your opponent is trying his best. If someone beats me, I have no excuses. They can assume I was trying to win.

    If anything, we occasionally get a drop-in who would like to beat a famous player, but there are rarely drop-ins at the stakes I play.

    FTR:
    2. We find your recent challenges with Daniel Negreanu very intriguing. How are the matches with Negreanu going? I saw that with others he is letting them pick the game and he has played other folks since some of your matches. From the Card Player interview you said you'll play all the games but you get to pick the order. How are your results so far?

    Barry Greenstein:
    We have had four matches and we are tied 2-2. We have both been pretty busy lately, but we will resume sometime in the future.

    FTR:
    3. What made you decide to take on Negreanu, aren't there easier games out there? How often do you play heads-up matches?

    Barry Greenstein:
    I wish Daniel was playing against me in the high-stakes ring games, since I have more experience there.

    Although Daniel has proven himself to be a good player, especially in tournaments, I didn't consider him to be the same caliber as some of my opponents I play against in the high-limit side games. I thought it would be more profitable for me to play against him than in my normal game. Given the state of the matches, I may have underestimated him or overestimated the advantage I could have against a competent opponent head-up.

    FTR:
    4. You said Daniel was having fun spreading false rumors earlier (that you only talk about wins etc). What's that all about? Are these types of mind games still in the works?

    Barry Greenstein:
    I will let Daniel do the trash talking. Before these matches we had only played ten hours of poker together. Daniel knows I consider the high-stakes side game players to be the best players, and he felt I was being arrogant about the way I stated it.

    I rarely talk about my wins and losses. In actuality, I was often criticized for downplaying my wins, since I liked to keep a low profile. When I was invited to play in the Superstars event, I was invited as a successful cash game player.

    The producers complained that they had no graphic to put under my name in the way of tournament wins. Mori Eskandani and Eric Drache asked me if I minded if they put that I was the biggest cash game winner of the decade, since it had been widely rumored that I had been doing the best. I told them that if Chip and Doyle signed off on it, I didn't care.

    People not in the know, like Daniel, assumed I was bragging about how I had done, not realizing it was not instigated by me.

    FTR:
    5. On your site, you talk about all the forms of poker in your high stakes games and you mention that you like to mix it up since you know all the games but your opponents may not. In your Player Analysis section, you mention your best game is the one you've been playing most recently. If you have to pick a favorite current game which one is it? Which game currently gives you the biggest advantage?

    Barry Greenstein:
    I have played a lot of stud the last six years, although I have played less poker in the last two years than I have played in a long time. Because of the increase in my tournament play, I spend much of my time travelling and preparing for tournaments. This year I will play about 50 tournaments and about 50 sessions in side games.

    FTR:
    6. Obviously, poker players are becoming well-known celebrities. But, these are mostly tournament poker players, not ring-game players. Are there ring game superstars that the public is unaware of? Do you think ring game specialists are starting to play the big tournaments to enter this Celebrity/Poker Star industry?

    Barry Greenstein:
    It can be expensive and time-consuming for a skilled player to make it on the tournament circuit. There are thousands of players who are good enough to be tournament superstars, but if they don't have early success, we may never hear of them. More players are trying to be a part of this phenomenon.

    FTR:
    7. The player analysis on your site is interesting and quite insightful, each of these players being exceptional and accomplished poker professionals. At one of your typical high-stakes ring games, would you rather not see any of these colleagues, or conversely, who would you invite to your table and why?

    Barry Greenstein:
    The weaker the lineup, the more likely I am to make money. In the highest-limit games, the players are generally well-known. The best we can often hope for is to have opponents who have gotten their reputations more from winning tournaments than from being successful in side games.

    FTR:
    8. Your site says that Ace on the River contains material for high-stakes poker players, but is readable by a mainstream audience. Many of our members play low stakes online. Can these players adopt the strategies in your book? Which parts of the book should our members focus on the most?

    Barry Greenstein:
    Much of the material is psychological and philosophical in nature. I have heard some disappointment from middle-limit online players more than any other segment of my readership. However, most readers seem to like it, so I think it is worth a shot for any poker player to read it and see what part of my experience is helpful.

    FTR:
    9. Folks talk about the differences between ring players and tournament players. You brought up a good point that tournament players face a wide range of different players (both good and bad) whereas you consistently face the best players in your ring games. This gives ring players like you an advantage (playing against the best is the most efficient way to be the best). That said, there are advantages for tournament players too. For example, there is a lot of practice with short-handed play at the end of the tournament. Also, tournament players get to practice different strategies at different times (tight at the beginning when blinds are small versus looser at later points). These differences between ring and tournament are important but there are similarities too. Can a ring game specialist become a dominant tournament player, and can a dedicated tournament player be successful in the ring? Which transition is easier? How rare or common is it for a player to be extremely competent at both forms?

    Barry Greenstein:
    I wish you had read my book before you did this interview, since I talk about this in my tournament chapter. Tournament play isn't that hard. Most successful ring game players can be good tournament players if they have the time and resources.

    FTR:
    10. Your generosity, heart, and overall good-guy character is well known in the poker industry. Can you tell us about your charitable contributions, the charities you support, and how all that came about?

    Barry Greenstein:
    It seemed like a good thing to do when I got lucky and won a million dollar tournament. I have kept it up, since I have seen the fruits of my labor and the effect it has had on others, as well as on other poker players. Children Incorporated is my main charity.

    FTR:
    11. You mention that Doyle Brunson and Chip Reese are the Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus of poker. Stu Ungar has three nines in the Player Analysis section, how did he compare to Brunson and Reese when he didn't have the substance abuse issues? Phil Hellmuth has a two in steam control. Have you faced any pro who has more issues with steam control and tilt than Phil? Does anyone have a ten in any of the categories?

    Barry Greenstein:
    I don't want to be critical of any individuals any more than I have been on my website. I didn't give out any tens, because I think all of us have room for improvement.

    We really appreciate Barry taking time from his busy schedule to answer our questions!


    Winning tons of cash in ring games, Barry Greenstein now plays his tournaments for charity. Allyn Jaffrey of Card Player Magazine calls him a modern day Robin Hood because of everything he had done for The Children Inc charity.

    Barry Greenstein is one of the top pros in poker but he is humble and down to earth. Our very own Michael was able to knock him out of the 2005 World Series of Poker (read about it in Michael's 2005 WSOP Main Event recap). Instead of going crazy like Phil Hellmuth, Greenstein was a true gentleman. Barry even gave Michael a signed copy of his book, Ace on the River.

    Living in Palos Verdes, Barry Greenstein has real estate in some of the hottest markets in the United States. Greenstein recently purchased a condominium near the Las Vegas strip because he spends a great deal of time there.

    Common Misspellings for Barry Greenstein:
    Bary Greenstein
    Berry Greenstein
    Barry Greenstien
    Bary Greenstien
    Berry Greenstien
    Barry Greenstine
    Bary Greenstine
    Berry Greenstine

    Have you ever come across a confusing poker term? Our poker dictionary has 1224 definitions!



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