Holla B4LLA!!

For those that don’t know or aren’t in the poker world, don’t ever say that nothing good comes out of the poker world after reading this post.

For those of you who don’t know Barry Greenstein’s story, he’s a professional poker player who made mountains of money in Silicone Valley before quitting his dayjob after realizing that he made even more playing poker. Once he started playing professionally, he was making enough to cover the expenses for him and his family, and living lavishly at that.

Once tournament poker started becoming a television phenomenon and the million dollar prize pools became the norm, Greenstein went on to start donating his winnings from these tournaments to charities. It was because of this that Barry has become known as, thanks to the WPT, the “Robin Hood of poker.”

Up to this day he plays in high stakes poker games and continues to play in the large televised tournaments. He donates to charities on a regular basis, his favorite being Childrens, Inc.

On the side Barry is also active in online sites and forums, one of the most notable being 2+2. This is where the story starts.

Anyone who knows anything about online forums knows that these are the places where hilarious internet phrases and endless amounts of awesome MSPaints come from. In light of the past few years’ explosion in online poker and daily MTTs filled with amateur players (known as “donks”), the term “donkaments” was formed.

Within the 2+2 forums during this time, strategies and hand histories were posted and discussed. Sometimes bad beats would occur, and steaming players would post these HHs online as well. Often time responders would feel the pain, and would post sympathies in these bad beat threads. Others would, with regard to the ridiculousness to the suckouts, post “lol” in consolation to the loser.

Eventually it became known that with as many horrible plays as there were amateur players, these horrendous beats were bound to occur on a regular basis, and could be explained by no other reasoning than the sheer numbers of donks in said tournaments. In some threads “lol donkaments” would be posted, as in it’s ok man, laugh it off, there’s just too many donks.

Needless to say, in such a cultish fashion as forum browsing itself, the term “lol donkaments” was coined as a keeper. A new internet forum phrase was born.

Being as how Barry is a sociable person and is a participator on the 2+2 board, members of the forum are in contact and are able to contact him. One member suggested that if Barry were to take the phrase “lol donkaments” to the highest stakes cash game on TV, High Stakes Poker, he would pay Barry $10,000. Barry, being the Robin Hood that he is, suggested that if he did say it on air, the forum member would donate the $10,000 to Greenstein’s favorite charity. Then the wheels were put in motion.

On Monday, February 26, 2007, the greatest thing to ever happen to the world on online poker forums was witnessed.

Click here to witness history

Within minutes of the broadcast the forums exploded. People applauded and waves of forumers ran out into the streets, waving their hands in the air in praise of the god-like Greenstein. The clouds parted in the sky and a glorious beacon of light shined down to the earth below.

Then, something terrible happened.

It’s been a well-known topic since the beginning of time, that a gambler’s word is his life’s work. If a gambler makes a bet his word is as good as his cash, and should a loss come his way, the debt will be paid. But minutes after the words “lol donkaments” were offered by God, the original bettor went back on his word, saying that he didn’t actually mean it.

Well have no fear, the poker community came to his aid. Within 24 hours, handfuls of members on the 2+2 forums had come together to gather and donate the entirety of the $10,000 to Childrens, Inc. The forces of good prevailed as the charity was granted the money it was so promised, not by the original guarantee, but by a community of poker players who believe in backing each other up and holding to the gambler’s word.

Until next time.