Amateur Spotlight
London Gallagher
If you look in the poker dictionary under "Solid Player" you will find a picture of London Gallagher. Solid Player in my poker dictionary means "makes very few mistakes". She is very focused on the table, reflecting a deep concentration. She is also a keen observer. These are the traits of a great poker player.
In 2004, London won out over 500 players to win her seat on the WPT Ladies Night Invitational. London has been a household name ever since. I have had the thrill of playing with London several times over the years. She is a dangerous opponent, a dynamic intellect, as well as a warm and generous friend. London is one of the up-and-coming players on the road to poker celebrity. Just give her time.
LPA: How long have you been playing? How did you learn to play poker?
L.G.: It’s been a little over 2 years since I started playing No Limit Hold’em. Before that I played nickel draw and stud with all the funny wild cards. I never took poker seriously until I saw the WPT on television….then I was hooked. I primarily learned to play by watching the WPT and Celebrity Poker Showdown and spending lots of time on forums like ladypokersharks.com. A mini-seminar by Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher before my 3rd event helped a great deal in the early stages as well.
LPA: Tell us a little bit about your poker accomplishments?
L.G.: I came in 2nd place in the third event I ever played. It was the California Ladies State Championship in 2004. After that I was consistently on final tables till I finally won my first event in April 2005 in the King of Kings at Hollywood Park. Later that year I took first place against 564 other ladies for the WPT Ladies Night Out Seat.
LPA: You have been called a “very solid” player, can you tell us what you think they mean by that? Can you give us some advice as to your strategy for playing in a tournament setting?
L.G.: Very solid….hmmmm…..well, I guess that would be because I tend to be selective with my hands and even more selective with the spots I play them. I don’t just play my cards…..I pay close attention to position, the players on the table and chip stacks.
LPA: Can you tell us how important the following elements are to YOUR game?
Tells?
L.G.: I try to focus on each player as they look at their cards….I can’t say that I’m an expert in tells yet…..but it is something I work very hard to master.
Psychology?
L.G.: Psychology is probably the second best element of my game. I spend a lot of time trying to get into the head of the person I’m playing against. Whether it be by light conversation while we play or thinking out what I suppose their strategy might be. I think my ability to read people is usually based more on psychology then it is on physical tells.
Patience?
L.G.: This would be the number one best element of my game. I tend to have the patience of a saint when I play poker. I can sit for hours and sit with a short stack and be perfectly content. I try not to let bad beats or bad cards push me to make bad decisions.
Knowing your opponent? Knowing your opponent can be key in this game. That’s why I love to play ladies events. I see and play with a lot of the same ladies over and over. It helps me to know how to play them. I’ve made some great lay downs and calls based on knowing my opponents game.
Anything else you view as critical?
L.G.: Recently I’ve started to play with my instinct a bit more then I used to. Previously I used only my rational brain to make decisions….but recently I’ve found that I have a profound ability to read situations even if they don’t make rational sense to me. I may not know exactly why I should call….or raise….but some reason I just do….and when I go for it…..it’s been eerily working out.
LPA: What adjustments, if any, have you made in your game that you can attribute to increased cashes?
L.G.: Over the last 2 years I’ve become more bold and willing to bluff. I started out playing textbook poker. But I learned you can’t always win that way. Sometimes you have to pick well timed bluffs to get you further in a tournament. I’ve become more and more proficient at this as time goes on.
LPA: If you could give just one tip about how to win at No Limit Holdem what would it be?
L.G.: The biggest tip I give all my girlfriends is patience. If you can’t be patient your never gonna win at this game, at least not consistently.
LPA: How often do you play?
L.G.: I play a lot less often then most think. These days I’m playing 2-3 times a month. I tend to come out for the ladies events and then stick around for a mixed if there is one.
LPA: Where do you play most often?
L.G.: I play at the Bicycle Casino most because they offer the most opportunities for women. I also know a lot of the people that work there and it feels like home.
LPA: What game(s) do you play?
L.G.: I play NL Hold’em primarily. I’m in the midst of learning Omaha hi/lo and 7 card stud. I really enjoy both games but have a lot to learn before I’ll feel comfortable playing them too often.
LPA: Mostly Cash or Tournaments?
L.G.: I’m definitely a tournament girl. I live for them. Sometimes I’ll play cash after having played in a tournament….but that’s only if there isn’t another tournament available for me to play in.
LPA: What advice do you have for anyone just starting out?
L.G.: Join a poker forum. If you’re a lady player join a lady’s poker forum. You can get a lot of great advice, support and friends by joining a good forum. I’m a member of a few ladies poker forums and I get a lot from them. I go to ladypokersharks.com for real serious poker talk….and I go to pokerchix.com for a more social environment. Both forums have helped both my game and my personal life. We are like family.
LPA: What was it like playing in your first live tournament?
L.G.: My first live tournament was extremely intimidating. I never would have played if it hadn’t been a ladies event. I was so afraid to walk in the casino alone I had my God-Mother Juli drive me and sit and wait for me till I was done. She didn’t wait long. I was out before the first round was over.
LPA: Do you play on the Internet?
L.G.: I used to play on the internet a lot, but not anymore. I found it took too much of my family time up….and ultimately it was very frustrating and boring. You just can’t compare live poker to internet poker.
LPA: What differences do you see between poker on TV and the tournaments you play?
L.G.: Generally TV poker portrays the final stages of a tournament. Chips stacks vary and blinds and antes are high. People take more risks on TV poker then it is necessary in the beginning stages of a live tournament.
LPA: What do you think the future of Ladies Poker is?
L.G.: The future of Ladies Poker is bright. I’m really proud of the casinos. They’ve done a fantastic job of realizing the importance of Ladies Poker. Men have controlled this game for a very long time…..it’s time that women are retrained to know and believe that there is room for them and that they can dominate in poker unlike any other sport.
LPA: When you play mixed tournaments, not ladies events, what differences are there in play?
L.G.: Honestly, there aren’t that many differences over all on the table. I see men and women make the same plays. The difference for me, though, is that men tend to soft play me a bit more and give me even more respect then women do. When I open a pot for a raise men take it a whole lot more serious. Sometimes is a huge advantage. I’ve even had cases where male table mates root for me to make the final table.
LPA: What advantages do you believe women have in the game?
L.G.: Generally women are more sensitive to their environment. This can be quite helpful when attempting to read situations and hands.
LPA: What disadvantages do you believe women have in the game?
L.G.: Confidence is something many women don’t seem to have. This is something I think will work out over time. Since we, as a group, are so new to the game and the casino environment….we still have a lot to learn about portraying confidence at the table.
LPA: Is there any poker player pro/women/amateur that you admire?
L.G.: I have great admiration for Jennifer Harmon. She really knows how to play poker and she uses her instincts very well. I definitely would love to model my poker style to hers.
LPA: Where do you see yourself in the world of poker in 5 years?
L.G.: I would love to see myself as an ambassador for women’s poker. I love the game so much and I love women in the game even more. I try my hardest to promote ladies poker so that someday we represent more than 5% of the field.
LPA: Who has been the biggest influence in your game? Why?
L.G.: My husband Kevin has been the biggest influence in my game. He is the one that introduced it to me, explained it to me, read articles to me and pushed me to be all I can be in poker. Without him….I’d still be at home bored on the weekends.
LPA: Is there anything you would like to tell women poker players out there?
L.G.: Keep playing, keep learning and keep supporting your fellow women players. Alone we can do little but together we can move mountains.
Men and Women Welcome
