“Robin Hood of Poker” to Lead His Band of Merry Men and Women at Nations Cup

This coming week in London, some of the world’s most talented poker players, as well as those of other Mind Sports, will gather for the Nations Cup, the first-ever duplicate poker event that will pit country against country in a quest to see who has the best poker players from around the world.

Even more importantly than which nation is the strongest, the event will serve as a testament to the growing global popularity of poker, not just as a gambling property, but as a sport that involves skill, concentration, and stamina. As expected, the United States will be well represented in the Nation’s Cup, which will take place partly in the London Eye, with different players engaged in competition in each pod going up and around the London skyline.

Leading the way for the American team will be Chicago native Barry Greenstein, who was selected by U.S. Poker Federation head Peter Alson as the captain of the team. Greenstein, who was recently announced as being part of the latest class to enter into the “Poker Hall of Fame,” is perhaps known as much for his philanthropic work with children as for his tremendous skill playing poker and another mind sport, bridge.

The California resident is known as the "Robin Hood of Poker," because he donates a large amount of his earnings in competitive poker to children’s charities. A computer and mathematics whiz, Greenstein has played competitive poker around the world, with over $7.5 million in earnings.

We spent a few minutes with Barry to talk about the sport of poker, his career, the Hall of Fame and the upcoming Nation’s Cup event.

BR: The Nations Cup will be a little different with duplicate poker trying to showcase the skill of these elite players.  What are your thoughts on the element of luck vs. skill and what the event will try to highlight?
BG: I understand the thought that skill is sometimes underappreciated by the fans who follow professional poker and there will probably be more emphasis on that aspect with duplicate poker this week. However, I enjoy and appreciate the element of luck as well.

There is a bit of luck in any sporting endeavor, whether it is the bounce of a football or the roll of a golf ball, so having that bit of luck and the element of surprise is what makes all sports intriguing to the viewer. This will highlight the skill for sure, with just the right amount of luck to make it interesting.

BR: What do you think will be the biggest takeaway from the Nations Cup for the sport?
BG: I think the amount of  debate and insightful comments after we play will be very interesting, and quite different from other poker events.

There will be a great deal of debate over how hands were played because there will be less luck and more skill, which is similar to the debates that happen in bridge after games are played. It will certainly make poker more interesting from an analytical and tactical standpoint than what usually happens and that’s a good thing for the sport.

BR: What will it be like to be captain of the American team?
BG: I have played in some events like the Caesar’s Cup and everybody loves the international feel of these type of events. It makes it more fun to play. Now I think this will be a little different because of having a full country by country format and it will be interesting to see which country has the edge. Is it the US, which has the larger percentage of players or is it Europe?

I’m actually disappointed that Finland is not represented, because most people don’t know this but Finland has the highest percentage of high stakes players [of] any country in the world. They will be a great addition going forward too.

BR: You were recently selected for the Poker Hall of Fame.  What has that been like?
BG: It is very neat to be recognized and it will be an honor to be inducted, but don’t forget that poker is really a battle in many ways.  You gain success by winning and you are able to move up and get more notoriety by your success, that’s what makes it fun. 

Now I have an advantage in the public in terms of notoriety because I have played on TV and the fans know who I am, so that probably also plays into Hall of Fame selection.  There are many great players around the world who don’t yet get that exposure, but I think that is changing.  Regardless it is an honor to be selected.

BR: You are now for donating your winnings to kids' charities.  How did that come about?
BG: Well poker wasn’t the way I made my income at first; I had another job. This was fun and I loved the competitive aspects of playing. I never realized I would have the success I have had when I started playing competitively.

One of the first events I played in I said I would donate my winnings, which was in 2003.  I ended up taking home $1.3 million in the event, and I am a man of my word, so yes I donated the money. Now I think at times I am even a little more motivated in games because I’m not just playing for myself, I am playing for others, and that playing for maybe a higher cause gives me even more desire to win. It has been fun to help for sure.

BR: Tell us about the Nations Cup team you helped assemble.
BG: When Peter and I talked we wanted to put together a team that had a good mix of personalities and skill and people who would be good spokespeople for the sport. I felt like we were doing a project for NASA, as we wanted to have the right mix from varied backgrounds, all of whom were successful in the sport and would represent us well.  I think we have done that. We have a nice male/female mix, great intellectual capacity, and accomplished strategists from very different backgrounds.

You look at our team…Isaac Haxton is a great strategist who will be able to reverse engineer our games almost before they start. Ali Eslami is very analytic, and has had great success playing against computers as well as some of the top players in the world. Vanessa Selbst is easily the No. 1 American female and is one of the best overall players in the world.

Antonio Esfandiari is the great face and spokesperson for the sport through his ESPN work now, and is someone who has blossomed from being an elite card magician into a great no limit hold 'em player as well. Jen Leigh is a young talent who continues to grow as a player and is a great fit for discussing the game she is playing and Matt is very sharp and analytical. They all provide us with a solid balance of playing talent and skill as ambassadors for the sport.  It should be very exciting.

BR: What do you hope people take away from the event?
BG: I think people will continue to see that poker has all the same pieces for success that any sport does, except it doesn’t have the great physical athleticism. It is a great compliment to physical sports and teaches strategy, discipline and mental toughness. It is also a sport that most athletes, especially as they get older, transition to because of that great competitive rush [that] poker gives you.

Poker is the resting place for everyone who competes in any activity, and I am very excited to help with this next expansion of the game to a wider audience.