My first impression of Barry Greenstein’s poker book, “Ace On The River,” to some degree mirrored that of my impression of the man himself: an enigma.

I met Greenstein at a World Series of Poker Circuit Event at Lake Tahoe in 2005. During a break, he graciously signed an ace of spades for me – I have a nerdy collection of them from top pros – but didn’t seem overly interested in small talk. He is a short, thin and quiet man, but has an aura of confidence that commands respect.

As gamblers go, he is somewhat of an anomaly. He has a keen ability to assess emotional situations with cold logic and, not unlike other gamblers, he might be an action junkie, but he only wants a piece of the action where he has an edge. It has been reported that when a team of top pros in Las Vegas suffered a severe losing streak against Texas billionaire Andy Beal, Greenstein was the only one among them who suggested their bad run was a result of being outplayed as opposed to a short-term variation. It was an unpopular stance that took courage to voice.

Dubbed “The Robin Hood of Poker” for donating his tournament winnings to charity, Greenstein’s record on the felt speaks for itself. Long one of the biggest winners in the Big Game in Las Vegas, the poker-viewing public became familiar with Greenstein because of his immense success in “Poker Superstars” and World Poker Tour events. In fact, the book gets its title from a key hand Greenstein won on his way to a WPT title.

Given his reputation as one of the great poker minds, it was with great anticipation that most serious poker players and students awaited the release of “Ace On The River.”

In a lot ways, the beautifully illustrated, full-color book fulfilled my expectations; immense attention to detail and a refined analytical approach to the game, obscure yet riveting analysis of poker and human behavior – it is the only poker book in which you will learn how Prozac and Paxil influence the game – and bold and unapologetic takes on the world of poker, gambling and life in general.

Nobody can argue that Greenstein, a doctorate candidate, has the credentials to give strong, educated opinions on each topic he broaches. But perhaps because Greenstein is such a complex thinker, his prose tends to be so comprehensive you could argue it contains conflicting sentiments.

There were many times I read and re-read chapters and was left scratching my less-brilliant-than-Greenstein’s brain. For instance, he starts one section with an open-ended question, “Winning poker players are …” and proceeds to fill in the blank with 25 separate answers. Among them: generous (23), greedy (17), insensitive (21) and empathetic (10). Is it humanly possible to have all those traits, or is the mere notion an oxymoron? Perhaps for Greenstein it makes perfect sense, but it can leave layman readers wanting an explanation.

There are other examples of mixed messages. For instance, he states taking care of your family should be your top priority. Then, a few pages later, he practically advocates infidelity. In a chapter titled “Poker and Your Sexuality,” Greenstein writes, “In theory, if your partner isn’t with you when you go on an extended poker trip out of town, a relatively steady substitute will give you a competitive advantage.”

Wow. Perhaps the most accurate thing that can be said about “Ace On The River” is that it gives you a lot to think about. It is probably unrivaled among recent poker texts in terms of the variety and depth with which it covers myriad topics related to the poker lifestyle and all its intricacies.

And it should be noted that my criticisms, by and large, are minor. The poker strategy section toward the end is top-notch. Greenstein analyzes numerous hands he has played, some of which took place in televised tournaments. He gives the background for the hand, who was involved and what took place, and asks hypothetically what you would do. As you turn the pages, you learn the outcome of the hand and Greenstein’s take on what would have been the optimal play if he had it to do over again. This type of insight is invaluable to intermediate players looking to improve their game, and the book might have been better served by offering even more of it.

Even so, “Ace On The River” is well worth the $25 cover price and it’s a pretty good bet that the book, if nothing else, will challenge the way you think about a lot of things. Which, coincidentally, might have been Greenstein’s goal in the first place.

Comments