What It’s Really Like to Win $39 Million Playing Poker: A Pro’s Candid Confession

What It’s Really Like to Win $39 Million Playing Poker: A Pro’s Candid Confession

When you hear a poker pro has $39 million in tournament cashes, the number feels almost mythical. But what's the story behind the stats? High-stakes legend Sam Greenwood recently pulled back the curtain, and the reality is far more interesting than the headline. Forget the glamour; people wanted to know about the real costs, the emotional toll, and whether he ever just gets drunk and shoves all-in blind. We got a rare glimpse into the mind of a player at the highest level, from his surprising take on GTO versus intuition to the players he finds genuinely unbearable at the table. It’s a candid look at the dedication, the self-doubt, and the hilarious realities of a life spent in the high-roller world. This isn't just about the money; it's about what it actually takes to earn it.

The Myth of $40 Million

Let's be real. When you see a poker player's earnings listed at nearly $40 million, your brain does a little stutter-step. It's a staggering figure, the kind of money that feels more like a lottery win than the result of a job. But almost immediately, the skepticism kicks in. A chorus of voices, both online and in your own head, starts asking the real questions. How much did he spend on buy-ins to win that? How much of his own action did he even have? It's the elephant in every poker room, and top-tier pro Sam Greenwood recently walked right up to it during a remarkably open Q&A session with fans.

Of course, the question came up, multiple times. What were the buy-ins for your $39 million in cashes? His first answer was a brilliant piece of deadpan humor:

“$38,999,999.”

And honestly, that's kind of the perfect response. It acknowledges the absurdity of looking at gross winnings as pure profit while poking fun at the question itself. Later, he confirmed he is indeed up overall, but the point stands. Those big numbers on Hendon Mob aren't a bank statement. They're a record of battles fought, not wars won. But while the money talk is what grabs headlines, the real gold was in the discussion about what it actually takes to get there—the strategy, the mindset, and the sheer human weirdness of it all.

The Modern Pro’s Playbook: GTO vs. Gut Feeling

One of the most revealing parts was hearing how a player at his level thinks about the game today, in an era dominated by solvers and Game Theory Optimal (GTO) play. You'd think it’s all about becoming a flawless robot, but that's not the whole picture. He explained that his process is more of a dance between machine-like precision and good old-fashioned human intuition. He uses GTO principles to build the foundation of his strategy on the early streets—preflop, flop—where the game tree is more manageable. But as the pot grows and the hand gets to the turn and river? That's when intuition and exploitative reads come more into play.

It's easier to make a gut call like, “I think this guy is bluffing way too much here,” than it is to perfectly recalibrate your entire four-betting range on the fly.

It’s a practical, hybrid approach that feels so much more relatable than the idea of memorizing endless charts. He even laid out some of his go-to mental shortcuts for playing a solid, GTO-ish style: betting smaller in multi-way pots, being super cautious on boards where straights and flushes are obvious, and always making sure you have bluffs available for different runouts. It’s about understanding the why behind the theory, not just blindly following it.

The Human Side of High-Stakes Poker

And then there's the human side of things, which, let's be honest, is often the most entertaining. One person asked if he ever gets drunk and shoves all-in without looking at his cards at low stakes. The answer was a simple, flat “No.” But then, with a touch of humor, he advised that if you are going to do that, you should at least peek at your cards first. It perfectly highlights the chasm between playing for fun and playing for a living.

Yet, for all the discipline, he’s not a robot. He admitted that a player like Martin Zamani has managed to get under his skin nearly every time they've played. And when asked to compare that to other notorious talkers, he was blunt:

William Kassouf is just unbearable. Apparently, no headphones are strong enough to block out his chatter.

It's oddly comforting to know that even the best in the world get annoyed.

Poker and Emotional Maturity

This led to a more profound point about emotional control. Has poker stripped the emotion out of his life? He doesn't think so. Instead, he sees it as a tool that taught him emotional maturity. He had a quick fuse as a kid, and poker forced him to develop control. You train yourself to have less volatile emotions, a skill that's just as valuable off the felt. It’s a reminder that patience and focus are muscles you have to develop over time. Everyone, even the elites, has their own little tricks to get back on track when boredom or tilt sets in.

Respect at the Top: Who Are the Real Crushers?

Speaking of the elites, who does a guy like Greenwood look up to? He named Stephen Chidwick, Isaac Haxton, and the “criminally overlooked” Mike Watson as the best live tournament players of the last decade. His reasoning was telling: it wasn't just about their skill, but their work ethic, their longevity, and their ability to crush multiple games at the highest level.

The gap between an average high-roller reg and these top crushers is large, he admits, but it's a game of small edges. In poker, winning 55% of the tough spots, compared to your opponent's 45%, doesn't translate into the same kind of world-beating dominance it would in a sport like tennis. It's a slow, painstaking accumulation of tiny advantages.

Climbing the Ladder in the Modern Era

So, is it even possible for someone to climb the ladder and join those ranks today? Absolutely. He pointed to players like Leon Sturm who have done it recently. It’s incredibly hard, but the path exists. His advice for grinders trying to move up was simple and low-variance: focus on cash games or small-field tournaments, and don't be afraid to play on smaller, softer sites. Building a bankroll is about managing risk, not just chasing a massive score.

More Than Just the Money

At the end of the day, this candid glimpse into the high-stakes world was a lesson in perspective. The $39 million figure is just noise. The real story is in the dedication it represents—the hours spent studying obscure spots on a solver, the discipline to fold boring hands for hours on end, the mental fortitude to bounce back from a bad beat or a bad decision, and the humanity to laugh at a question about playing drunk. It’s a tough, draining, and sometimes tilting journey. But behind the sunglasses and the quiet intensity, there's a player who has simply put in the work, learned from his mistakes, and never lost sight of the fact that it is, after all, just a game—albeit one with very, very high stakes.