Have you ever heard of the Robin Hood of Poker?! His real name is Barry Greenstein, and he’s an elite poker player from Chicago, Illinois. In this article, we will explore more about him, his life, and how he got this Nottingham-themed nickname.
Who is Robin Hood, Again?
In case you’re new, Robin Hood is a heroic outlaw from medieval tales. The story documents that he stole gold and money from the rich (like the sheriff of Nottingham) and gave everything to the poor. If you visit Nottingham, you will find tales about him dotted all over the city.
Barry Before Poker
Barry Greenstein was born in Chicago, Illinois, and excelled at school, taking an interest in mathematics and computer science. As a child, he was incredibly close to his mother, as she would often spread joy into the world with her love and care. The pair would usually play cards together after he had completed his homework.
During his studies, he had a Vietnamese girlfriend, whom he taught to play poker—in exchange for her teaching him the Vietnamese language! While it is uncertain how much of the language he’s retained, his girlfriend, Mimi Tran, became a professional poker player who played in multiple world tours.
He became interested in playing poker and wanted to pursue it professionally. However, after carefully considering his situation and circumstances (having children to look after), he initially opted for a different path.
His conventional job was with Symantec Corporation, a computer software startup. With his expertise in the field, he led the construction of Q&A, a ground-breaking database and word-processing software package, in its day. However, after multiple years in this role, Barry found himself itching to play poker for a living and decided to leave Symantec in 1991.
Barry Becomes Robin
As mentioned above, Greenstein cherished his childhood. He wanted to give opportunities to children worldwide who didn’t have the same chance he did growing up. Given his poker skills, he knew he could make a difference by donating some of his winnings to children’s charities. While he donates to a few different charities, his primary recipient is Children Incorporated, a charitable organisation that tries to improve kids’ lives worldwide.
Barry works closely with that charity, having helped them coordinate various projects where the charity could identify and use his donations most effectively. At one point, he collaborated with all 440 employees at the charity, all of whom received a $1,000 gift from Barry for their hard work.
Barry has continuously won poker tournaments (or finished with additional money) and then donated large percentages of his winnings to charity, only taking what he needs to sustain his family life. Since poker and gambling are seen as rich man’s games, Barry winning money and giving it to disadvantaged children has earned him the moniker Robin Hood of Poker.
How Good is Greenstein?
It’s essential to consider just how good Barry Greenstein is at poker. He is among the few poker players to win two $1,000,000 tournaments in a calendar year. When you consider that when you and I play on money poker sites, we would be lucky to win a few hundred. His heyday was mid-2000s when he won three World Series of Poker bracelets. He’d also win two titles on the World Poker Tour and multiple money finishes across those circuits and on the European Poker Tour.
His total career poker earnings now eclipse $8.6m, putting him among the top 200 all-time earners in the poker world. In 2011, he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame for his accomplishments and service to the sport.
No Nottingham Connection?
Unfortunately, there is no tangible evidence that Barry Greenstein has visited Nottingham or played a tournament in the city! There is no information supporting the belief that he is related to anyone from Nottingham or the UK. Therefore, he is unlikely to prefer Nottingham Forest or Notts County.
Want to Read More About Greenstein?
You can easily do so if you want to know more about Barry Greenstein and his poker and charitable activities! This is because Greenstein wrote a book which covers his motivation to play poker, his philosophies on the game (and beyond), and his top poker strategies. ‘Ace on the River’ is readily available from good bookstores despite being released in 2007.
Or, if you’d rather keep up with his modern developments, Greenstein is very active on Twitter (now known as X) and often posts media of his pets. He also strongly desires to help children, and it is clear that he loves animals, as he has multiple cats and dogs in his house!
