Barry Greenstein

Quote of the day: “There’s no substitute to having the best hand” Barry Greenstein

I really admire this guy, and I think he combines his own level of Zen and poker in a unique way.

From a poker standpoint, he just seems to be the consummate professional. He has amassed practically his entire fortune by playing cards. He gives off the impression of someone who has seen it all at a poker table. He seems to always be in tune with the moment, with what is going on at the table; he exemplifies a Zen nature in his game. He reads tables well and adjusts to them. He knows when to get away from a hand and recognizes when someone is getting out of line with their betting. When others want to constantly drive the action, he seems to play tight and conservative and wait for an opportunity to let them overplay their hand. When the table is tight and afraid, he raises pots relentlessly. He seems to be able to recognize and take advantage of what the table is offering at a given time; that is the mark of a great player.

From a humanitarian view, I admire his generosity to less fortunate children of this world. Many people who have made good money in life do not give back to others. But he is grounded enough to recognize that he has been fortunate in life, and has made the effort to share some of his fortune with others.

You can check out some stuff about Barry on his website. The site contains some very interesting analyses of other players as well as some great tunes. He also has an interesting book called Ace on the River, which is less of a strategy book on poker (although there is some very good strategy hands at the end of the book), and more of a series of essays about some of the various social aspects you will encounter if you become heavily involved in the live poker scene.