Barry Greenstein Poker Barry Greenstein was born on December 30, 1954, in Scottsdale, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. He grew up in a stable and secure home where honesty and integrity were important traits. As a kid, his parents taught him to play cards. They taught him to remain calm and view the game in an analytical way.

By the time he was 13 years old, Barry Greenstein was playing in private home cash poker games. He had a knack for poker and usually won every night that he played.

But Greenstein did not aspire to grow up to be a professional player. He was an intellectual who wanted to be a doctor. When he was 15 he built his own computer software. He was gifted in science and mathematics, and his grades in school reflected it.

After high school, Barry Greenstein attended the University of Illinois and in just three years managed to earn his bachelor’s degree in computer science. From there he went after his Ph.D. in mathematics. He was still playing poker at the time and was managing to slowly increase his bankroll.

For the next ten years Barry Greenstein studied to complete his doctoral degree while playing poker at night. Before he could complete his Ph.D., he met a young woman and the two got married. She had three children from a previous relationship, and Greenstein wanted to adopt them. His attorney advised him that in order to do that, he would need to have a steady job besides poker. So Greenstein quit school and moved to Silicon Valley where he formed, with four other partners, a start-up company called Symantec.

Symantec became a hugely successful company, one of the top software producers on the planet. Its initial software program called Q&A was named as product of the year in numerous industry magazines. Q&A is still one of Barry Greenstein’s proudest accomplishments and the experience of working on it taught him patience and determination, traits that he used in poker. Symantec is now known for creating the widely-used Norton Anti-Virus program.

Barry Greenstein’s poker playing helped to supplement the family’s income but it had always been mostly a pastime, similar to playing golf. Then in the late 1980’s, his family was struck by serious health problems. His wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and his daughter developed liver problems that eventually necessitated a transplant.

In order to provide more money for medical bills, Barry Greenstein began to spend more time at the poker tables. But the long hours from home took their toll so when he was 36 years old he retired from Symantec in order to spend more time at home. He needed a job with freedom so he took up playing poker full-time.

Barry Greenstein played at the Carneo Club where his poker skills grew. He was primarily a cash game player, but in 1992, he entered his first tournament. It was the World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event and had a field of 36 players. Greenstein took 22^nd place in his first tournament and earned $8,000.

Barry Greenstein and Mimi Tran

Barry Greenstein and his wife divorced around this time and he gained full custody of his children. Shortly after this ordeal, he met poker player Mimi Tran. They struck a bargain which has since become famous. Greenstein agreed to teach her poker if she taught him to speak Vietnamese. He played against several Vietnamese players and wanted to learn how to communicate with them. Tran went on to become one of the leading female players in the world.

Barry Greenstein Poker Tournament Winnings

For several years Greenstein played in tournaments and cash games where he proved successful and continued to add to his winnings. Then in 2001 he struck gold at Larry Flynt’s Poker Cup Challenge at the Hustler Casino. He took first place in the Limit Seven Card Stud event and took home $1 million. The very next month he took second place at the Five-Star World Poker Classic and earned $59,000. Then in June of that year he took first place at the California State Poker Championship and earned $100,000.

After his big win at Larry Flint’s Poker Cup Challenge, Greenstein started to donate to charity. He chose the organization Children, Incorporated which he had already been involved in for several years. He had already been a sponsor for several children through the organization. The decision came about because Greenstein wanted to show his own children that not everyone was as fortunate. He donated a large portion of his $1 million win and has since continued to donate to Children, Inc. as well as other programs. However, with the growth of poker and added expenses, Greenstein has recently had to restructure the way he donates to charity. He now donates his net earnings at the end of each year which allows him to financially support himself within the ever-increasing field of poker. His involvement with charity has earned him the nickname ‘The Robin Hood of Poker’.

Barry Greenstein and The World Series of Poker

Barry Greenstein has won three World Series of Poker gold bracelets. His first was in 2004 at $5,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw where he earned $296,200. Then in 2005, he won his second bracelet at $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha and took home $128,505. His third bracelet came in 2008 when he won the $1,500 Razz event and pocketed $157,619. He has stated that winning his second bracelet was special because he was inspired by a fan of his named Charlie Tuttle who was terminally ill. Greenstein dedicated his win to Charlie.

Barry Greenstein World Poker Tour

In 2004, Greenstein also had some success at the World Poker Tour. At the Jack Binion World Poker Open, he took first place in the No Limit Hold’Em event and won $1,278,370. In true Robin Hood fashion, he gave it all to charity.

Greenstein has had over thirty World Series of Poker finishes throughout his career and placed in over 15 World Poker Tour events. He is a regular face at ‘The Big Game’ at the Bellagio Casino alongside poker greats Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, and Gus Hansen. He has also appeared on the television shows High Stakes Poker, NBC’s Heads Up Championship, Poker Superstars Invitational. He also wrote a chapter in Doyle Brunson’s book Super/System 2 before writing his own book Ace on the River. In his spare time, he likes to hang out with his children, play golf and watch movies. He is a member of Team PokerStars..

Barry Greenstein currently lives in Southern California. Despite his work with charity, he has said that he does not think of himself as a hero. He is simply doing what he thinks is right. Greenstein is an intelligent and calculating player who is sometimes underrated in the poker industry. With loud, brash players getting most of the media attention, the quiet, unassuming Greenstein just sits back and plays poker. And he wins. His estimated tournament earnings are over $6 million. Yet despite his success in poker, he is still very humble and is considered an all-around nice guy. That is, unless you’re facing him at the felt.