Joe Sebok Biography

Ask Joe Sebok what his idea of perfect happiness is and he'll tell you, “Chasing your dreams, never giving in, never compromising on what your idea of happiness is. Live life on your own terms. It can be done, but YOU have to make it happen.”

Joe Sebok has definitely made it happen for himself. He's worked at a variety of booming dotcoms, traveled the world, made millions of dollars playing poker, and is currently the president of PokerRoad.com, an online poker media outlet that provides poker fans with fresh, innovative and often irreverent content from an insider's perspective.

All this - and he's just a few notches above 30.

We'd expect someone so young with so much life experience and poker talent to be a little cocky. But when we asked Joe to tell us about the best game of poker he's ever been involved in, he said, “I like to think I haven't played my best game yet. Check back in 20 or so years.”

We tend to disagree, Mr. Sebok. Glancing at your short-but-successful poker career would cause anyone to mistake you for a seasoned pro.

Just one year after beginning his poker career in 2005, Joe made two final tables at the 2006 World Series of Poker and won a number of land-based and online poker events.

In just four years, Sebok's lifetime poker winnings of over $1.75 million include impressive first place finishes in the 2006 Mirage Poker Showdown WPT event for $150,165, the 2006 Heavenly Hold'em Championship for $209,060, a 2006 WPT Festa Al Logo Classic event for $267,295, and a 2007 L.A. Poker Classic event for over $96,000.

We're not at all surprised by all this success. Sebok is the son of Barry Greenstein, a professional poker player who needs no introduction, and having access to that mind definitely didn't hurt.

But that doesn't mean you need a pro poker player in the family to follow in Sebok's footseps. As he puts it, “Poker is the great equalizer. It's fun for everyone and it puts us all on the same playing field. Nothing matters on the poker table except for your cards and your wits. It's the ultimate survival of the fittest situation and people love that about it.”

For more insight from this great poker mind, read our Q&A session.

How did you become a professional poker pro?
Basically the job market was bad enough that I was forced to look into doing something innovative. I was going to go to Business School, but poker jumped up on my radar instead. The rest is history…

When did you first realize you could be great at poker?
After I made those first 2 final tables at the WSOP back in '05 I thought I could make it playing this game. You have to be humble though. Poker will break you down and build you back up hundreds of times during your career.

Did you struggle a lot at the beginning or were you a success right away?
I was very lucky at the beginning and enjoyed numerous successes at the game right away. That probably fueled my desire to work harder and continue to keep getting better. That early success seemed to spark a fire a bit.

What are your thoughts on the growing size of the WSOP main event and is it good or bad for the game?
Love it, and it could never be bad for the game. It would be amazing if the WSOP had 30k entrants strewn all over the strip, all playing down to that final 9 at the Rio. That would be exciting.

Which of your poker skills do you rate as the most important?
My ability to read people and my patience. Both have taken a little while, and a little maturity, to hone, but they are well worth it.

What top three tips would you give to amateur poker players hoping to make it as a poker professional?
Play as much as you can and find people better than you so that you can discuss hands with them. Completely do away with your ego and just soak in as much information as you possibly can. Your ego will only get in the way of that.

When and where did you play your first game of poker?
On my computer, for months, feverishly trying to teach myself how to play the game when I was 28. I had never thought about poker for more than 10 seconds up until then.

Where and when did you make your first significant cash win? And how much was it for?
WSOP, '05. Probably about $85k.

Who taught you the tricks of the game?
My pops, Barry Greenstein. He knows the ins and outs pretty damn well and I'm lucky to have access to that mind.

What style of play do you use at the table?
My first few years I was wild and basically out of control. If it was my turn to act, I seemed to think that meant that I HAD to raise. I learned a little more as I continued to play and now I am aggressive, but just sanely aggressive.

Are you a better cash game player or tournament player?
Definitely a better tournament player. It's just not as fun to me if there isn't a threat that I could “die” at any moment.

Speaking of which, what's the one thing you'd like to do before you kick the bucket?
I honestly think I'm doing most of them. I just want to chase every dream I have and never settle for anything and so far I've done that. I've been very lucky.

What do you think you'll be doing in 20 years time?
Hopefully relaxing somewhere, planning my next adventure or finishing up my current one. Just content. That's all you can ask for.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Never give up. Never accept other's ideas or boundaries for yourself.

What is the best piece of advice someone has given you?
Don't ever take something as fact just because someone has told you it's so. Make your own decisions and don't believe anything until you truly believe it.

If you were invisible for the day were would you spend it and why?
In NYC, because I could get the best cross section of humanity there. I would just walk and weave my way into as many disparate situations as I possibly could.

What is your greatest regret?
I'm lucky. I have always lived forward and thus don't have any regrets at this point. I don't compromise often, and thus generally dictate terms of my life. Maybe not always a good thing…

What does your best friend do?
I have many. They do everything from being doctors, poker players, marketers for law firms, and play in bands. I think the idea of best friend is outdated…at least at my age.

What has been your poker highlight to date?
Hasn't happened yet. I have many near misses, so it wouldn't be fair to each one to single a specific one out. Haha!

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
I love my life and I honestly can't think of anything I would change about it. Being 6' tall though might help.