It wasn’t really all that long ago that No Limit Hold’em was virtually unknown outside tournaments. The cash No Limit Hold’em games had died off back in the early 1980s and been replaced by Limit Hold’em. Whether you went to the giant card barns of California, a two-table poker annex in an off-Strip Las Vegas casino, or anything in between, you saw Limit Hold’em being played.We had our pillars of Limit Hold’em to whom we listened and from whom we learned: Jim Brier, Roy Cooke, and so on. But one of our big heroes was Barry Tanenbaum (pictured above).
Barry had a very successful career heading up an education department at Tandem Computers in Cupertino, California (a.k.a. the home of Apple headquarters and ground zero of Silicon Valley). But his real passion was one exit down I-280 at the Garden City “Casino,” where I first met him. Barry started in the $2-$4 Limit Hold’em games and eventually graduated to being a fixture in the largest game in the room - $20-$40.
He brought his engineering head to the game, but more importantly, he brought his ineffable good nature. Whether the cards fell good or bad, he kept his good humor and was always delightful company.
He was also always willing to discuss hands with people. I’d ask him about a hand and he’d carefully break it down for me, telling me where I’d gone wrong. Realize, of course, that when you play Limit Hold’em, there are often four streets of difficult decisions to be made – you’re not always “pot-committed” by the river. Barry’s keen understanding and clear head made him a wonderful source for how to navigate all four streets.
Some years ago, while he was still living in San Jose, he began to experience kidney problems, ultimately resulting in his needing a kidney transplant. With the support of his friends and (mostly) his wife Betty (whom he always refers to as “the lovely and talented BettyT”), Barry made it through that huge ordeal and returned to the poker tables he loved.
Not too long after that, he retired and he and Betty moved to Las Vegas, where Barry quickly became a staple in the $30-$60 and $40-$80 Limit Hold’em games at the Bellagio. Those were (and quite arguably still are) some of the toughest live Limit Hold’em games in the world, but Barry continued to beat them even though his health was always an issue.
He also continued to share his knowledge with other poker players. He gave presentations at the poker conferences that Linda Johnson (pictured) and Jan Fisher put on, went on cruises with them (where he gave shipboard seminars), and wrote articles for Card Player. I believe that he is one of the longest appearing writers on the Card Player staff. He even wrote a book about Limit Hold’em; the only thing wrong with the book was that its release coincided almost perfectly with the explosion of a nationwide obsession with No Limit Hold’em.I should also mention, by way of disclaimer, that Barry helped me totally re-craft my single opus, “Winning Low Limit Hold’em,” back in 2004. It was the third edition and people have told me that it was a quantum improvement over the prior two; I always told them that Barry could take credit for much of that improvement.
Barry is also a good friend and I’ve made it a point to visit him whenever I’m in Las Vegas. We often talk politics, on which we agree about virtually nothing. But I always listen carefully because I know Barry’s opinions are thoughtful and rational even if I disagree violently with them.
Speaking of violently disagreeing with Barry, I need to mention Alan Schoonmaker (pictured), another old school poker guy who writes about the psychology of the game. I love being with Barry and Alan because they’re like an old Jewish couple that disagree about everything, but are somewhat lost without each other.Barry is a hardcore conservative (in the truest sense of the world); Alan (like me) is a pureblood liberal. They sit at lunch together discussing whatever, but neither ever misses the opportunity to fire an under-the-table political bullet at the other. It’s a joy to be with them and watch them exchange fire.
Which brings me, regrettably, to the point of this article. Barry’s health has taken a very hard turn for the worse; as I write this, he is on life support in a Las Vegas hospital. The lovely and talented BettyT is with him, of course, as will be people such as Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher. I’m sure Alan Schoonmaker is there as much as possible.
I don’t know when – or if – Barry will come out of this. I do know that his friends from all over the poker world – the BARGE community, the San Jose poker crowd, and the cruisers – are all thinking good thoughts for him. Perhaps you’ll be good enough to add yours too.
Lee Jones is the Head of Home Games for PokerStars and has been working in the online poker industry since 2003. He is also the author of “Winning Low Limit Hold’em,” which is still in print 17 years after its initial publication.
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