Beyond the $39M: Sam Greenwood on Punts, Poker Brains, and Playing Drunk

What a $39 Million Poker Pro Really Thinks

It’s a number that just stops you in your tracks: $39,000,000. When a poker player like Sam Greenwood—a name synonymous with Super High Roller final tables and a fixture on the all-time money list—has that figure next to his name, our minds tend to fill in the blanks. We picture a life of pure profit, flawless decisions, and a mind that operates like a supercomputer. But what if the reality is a lot more human, a lot messier, and infinitely more interesting?

In a recent, refreshingly open Q&A with fans, Greenwood pulled back the curtain on what it's really like to operate at the nosebleeds. He's been promoting his latest project, a Substack called 'Punt of the Day,' where he dissects his own mistakes. And honestly, that spirit of self-reflection carried through the entire conversation. This wasn't just about strategy; it was about the whole, chaotic experience of being a poker pro.

The Elephant in the Room: Let's Talk About the Money

Let’s get it out of the way, because it was the first thing on everyone's mind. A figure like $39 million in cashes is impressive, but as any seasoned player knows, it’s not the whole story. The community didn't pull any punches, immediately asking how much of that was profit after accounting for millions in buy-ins. Is it all just for show?

I am up money overall.

While he pointed curious minds to a more detailed article he'd written on the subject, that simple confirmation cuts through a lot of the noise. It’s a quiet acknowledgment that yes, the profit is real, but it’s a far cry from the sticker price on his Hendon Mob page. He even joked when someone asked for the buy-in total, replying, “$38,999,999.” It’s this kind of dry wit that makes you feel like you're talking to a guy at a home game, not a poker demigod.

This whole exchange highlights a fundamental truth about tournament poker: it’s a world of immense variance and financial swings that are almost impossible for outsiders to comprehend. The pressure to maintain an image of invincibility is huge, which is why Greenwood’s willingness to just be straight about it feels so different.

Inside the Mind of a High-Roller

Okay, so what does it actually take to be a net winner at those stakes? The discussion quickly turned to strategy, and this is where you see the gears of a world-class poker brain turning. Someone asked about the balance between playing by the book—Game Theory Optimal (GTO)—and relying on gut feelings. How does he do it?

He uses GTO principles to build the foundation of his strategy on the early streets (preflop, flop), but leans more on intuition and reads as the hand gets to the turn and river.

As he put it, it's easier to make a simple adjustment like, “I think my opponent is bluffing too much, so I am going to call the river,” than it is to re-engineer an entire preflop strategy on the fly. It's a practical, hybrid approach that many of us can learn from. You build a solid base, then you give yourself permission to be human.

He also shared a few of his go-to mental shortcuts, or heuristics, that help him emulate GTO play without having to memorize every single chart. Things like betting smaller in multiway pots and always being cautious on boards where straights and flushes are possible. But the most fascinating tidbit was about a time a solver completely shocked him. On a dry, paired board like 7-2-2, if you face a check-raise, the solver often wants you to continue with all your unpaired hands, from AK-high to JT-high. Why? So that you can't be easily read and can connect with a wider range of river cards. It’s a totally counter-intuitive idea that shows just how deep the game has become.

It’s Not All Solvers and Seriousness

For all the high-level theory, the most memorable parts of the conversation were the ones that reminded you that poker is, at its heart, a weird and wonderful game played by people. My absolute favorite question came from a user who laid their soul bare: “Do you ever play poker drunk drunk like 8 beers and play at lowest stakes 1/3? Do you ever short buy like $60 then go all in preflop no look then laugh maniacly? Those are my two biggest leak how can I fix them.”

You could start by not drinking 8 beers, but that's no fun. So I will say, at least look at your cards before you go all-in dark.

It was the perfect response, acknowledging the fun of the game while still offering a tiny nugget of help.

He also touched on the emotional toll of the game. When asked if poker made him lose his emotions, he reflected that it was more about gaining maturity. He admitted to having a quick fuse as a teenager, and that poker taught him emotional control. It’s a relatable journey—whether poker forced him to grow up or if he would have naturally mellowed with age, it's impossible to say. But the game certainly accelerates the need for a level head.

Can You Still Make It in Poker?

With the game being so tough, is it even possible for someone to climb from the bottom to the top today? Greenwood’s take is cautiously optimistic. He says yes, pointing to players like Leon Sturm who have done it recently. But he warns, “it is very hard to do.”

For those grinding it out, his advice is to stick to lower-variance games with low rake—think cash games or small-field tournaments. And don't be afraid of smaller, ring-fenced sites where the games might be softer. It’s about building a bankroll brick by brick, not trying to hit a home run right away.

And what about the gap between the very best and the rest? He pegs the top regs as having a 10-15% ROI on their best bullets, but also notes that there's a huge group of players hovering between -5% and +5% ROI, and it's incredibly tough to tell who's who. He thinks the gap between an average Triton reg and a crusher like Stephen Chidwick or Mike Watson is large, but he made a brilliant point: a small edge in skill doesn't always translate into a massive edge in expected value. In poker, unlike tennis, getting 55% of the tough spots right instead of 45% doesn't make you unbeatable. It just gives you a slight edge over a massive sample. It’s a strangely comforting thought for anyone who’s ever felt outmatched at the table.

The Final Table Takeaway

Wrapping it all up, what can we take from this? More than anything, it's the honesty. Sam Greenwood comes across not as a poker celebrity, but as a student of the game who just happens to be one of the best in the world. He's still learning, still making mistakes, and still finds the game as fascinating and frustrating as the rest of us.

He’s a reminder that behind every massive score and every stoic final table appearance, there’s a person balancing family and travel, dealing with annoying opponents (he finds Kassouf “unbearable”), and trying to keep their head straight. And maybe, just maybe, the key to success isn't about achieving perfection, but about being willing to look at your punts, learn from them, and have a bit of a laugh along the way.