Barry Greenstein is widely recognized as one of the top players in the world, equally dominant in cash games as well as tournaments. He regularly plays in The Big Game in Vegas, and Larry Flynt's monster games here in Los Angeles. He also picked up a bracelet at the 2005 World Series of Poker, and is a frequent winner on the World Poker Tour.

In addition to being one of the best players in the world, Barry is also one of the kindest and most generous. During the 2005 WSOP, Barry dedicated his bracelet in a Pot-Limit Hold'Em event to Charlie Tuttle, a man he'd never met, but who Barry knew was important to a lot of people. He is popularly known as "The Robin Hood of Poker," because he donates all of his tournament wins to charity.

At the moment, Barry is in twelfth place with 20500 chips in PokerStars.com's World Championship of Online Poker event number seven, pot-limit hold-em.

I just got off the phone with Dan Goldman from PokerStars. Dan told me that he spoke with Barry, and Barry has agreed to donate 100% of his winnings today to PokerStars' Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, and that PokerStars has pledged to match, dollar-for-dollar, whatever Barry wins. If Barry wins, this could mean several hundred thousand dollars will be added to a pending donation that currently exceeds $80,000!

And as if that's not enough, Barry will be joining Rick Charles (as I did last night) on PokerTalkshow.com (click here for a direct link to the stream) to provide commentary on the final table . . . even if he's playing in the event!

Barry plays on PokerStars as crazyplayer. If you'd like to watch one of the greatest in the game, in all senses of the word, do what he does best, fire up PokerStars, and go to Event #7 of the WCOOP. Then, be sure to tune in tonight when fifteen players remain (I'm told it's estimated to happen around 11 PM PDT) to listen to —and hopefully watch — Barry Greenstein's commentary on the final two tables. (As a bonus, Greg "Fossilman" Raymer is currently in fifth in chips, with 24000! This could be a very interesting and exciting final table!)

I'll close on a personal note: I will never be as good a poker player as Barry Greenstein, but I will continue to follow his example, as a player, and humanitarian.