Thank you for the truth

[StLouisMike]

I read Barry Greenstein's book last night and thought it was excellent. I found it humbling that one of the 5 or 10 best card players in the world admits to often bieng broke and borrowing money from others (even though he seems to pay all debts back). So much is made today of the hourly rates of players and the massive amounts of money that they win yet so little of the fact that poker IS still gambling. Thank you for the inside look at some of the ups and downs of a real card player and not just the big scores and fancy aquisitions you have made.

Mike

[Killer Man's Son]

I had no idea that Barry had money issues at points in his career. I thought he was rich from something computer related? Anyway, thanks for the post and I just added the book to my wish list at amazon (waiting for next order).

[Nigel]

[ QUOTE ]
I found it humbling that one of the 5 or 10 best card players in the world admits to often bieng broke and borrowing money from others (even though he seems to pay all debts back). So much is made today of the hourly rates of players and the massive amounts of money that they win yet so little of the fact that poker IS still gambling.

[/ QUOTE ]

It is serious gambling if you have the money management skills that many of these famous pros seem to possess.

I was really surprised to see that Barry has let himself go over $1 million in the hole.

Insane.

[PairTheBoard]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I found it humbling that one of the 5 or 10 best card players in the world admits to often bieng broke and borrowing money from others (even though he seems to pay all debts back). So much is made today of the hourly rates of players and the massive amounts of money that they win yet so little of the fact that poker IS still gambling.

[/ QUOTE ]

It is serious gambling if you have the money management skills that many of these famous pros seem to possess.

I was really surprised to see that Barry has let himself go over $1 million in the hole.

Insane.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd bet a dollar that Sklansky has never been broke.

PairTheBoard

[StLouisMike]

Well Im sure playing style has a lot to do with his fluctuations also.

[smarterthanyoda]

He was also up-front that he did not manage him money well outside of poker. I think he mentioned Mimi Tran has never gone broke. I've also heard this about other pros (Bobby Baldwin?).

I'm not saying that a skilled player can't have brutal downswings that can cripple his bankroll, just that many skilled players that go broke have money-management issues outside of poker.

People tend to go to extremes. Either poker is gambling and anybody's one bad beat away from the gutter or poker is pure skill and a good player has zero RoR. The truth is somewhere in between. A good player with good money management skills can be a consistent winner with little risk of going broke, but you can always lose a lot more to your vices than you can win at the table.

[Al Schoonmaker]

Although I have not read Barry's book, I have immense respect for him as both a player and person.

Some of you might also gain from watching "Poker Bustouts." It's a DVD about the less glamorous side of being a poker pro.

Regards,

Al