As we near the halfway point of Day 2 of the 2025 WSOP Ladies $1,000 Championship, a few familiar names are leading the way including last year’s winner, Shiina Okamoto, who believe it or not is the current chip leader.
Several familiar names are nipping on Okamoto's heels, including Farah Galfond, JJ Liu, Kitty Kuo, Dusti Smith, Haven Taylor and Melanie Weisner.
The event drew a 10% increase in comparison to last year’s field, with 1,368 entries chasing the shiny bling of a coveted WSOP bracelet and the $184,094 up top.
Farah Galfond climbs the leaderboard
PokerOrg caught up with the better half of the Galfond dynamic duo to ask Farah about her experience at the series and her take on playing in Ladies events in the past.
You almost didn’t enter this event. But as I understand it, FOMO won out, and you are here and one of the bigger stacks on Day 2.
It did. Yesterday, Phil [Galfond, Farah's husband and poker pro] wasn't feeling well, and my babysitter was out of town, so I wasn't planning on playing because my child needed care.
Phil could see how much I wanted to play, even though he was under the weather. He said, "Just go, I'll be OK."
I felt bad about leaving him there because he was sick. Dads are a little bit more of a wussie when it comes to being ill.
How did Day 1 go?
I bluffed it all off with my first bullet. I had to remind myself that women play a little differently. However, from my experience, it's always been tough to navigate all-women fields. I'm not exactly sure why.
I've never cashed this event. I reset and fired a second bullet. I thought I might play a little bit more defensively, maybe play a little more trappy. That ended up going quite well, and I ended up with a nice stack.
What about today? You’re at the top of the leaderboard.
I got lucky in a couple of spots earlier today. I flopped a set versus aces.
How has the series been going overall?
I've played in quite a few events. This event will be my third cash of the summer, and then I'll play the Main Event next week.
'I am zero for 10 tries'
What was your take on what Christina Gollins shared earlier in the week about her experiences at Ladies events?
I’m pretty neutral. I don't particularly love them, but I also have no distaste for them. It's just another tournament.
You mentioned you've never cashed this event. How many times have you played it?
I am zero for 10 tries. If you talk to me about this event, you might see me roll my eyes, because I'm frustrated that I've never been able to make anything happen.
I do think that I'm a favorite in the field. Perhaps this year is the year to finally make something happen.
You mentioned that women play differently. Can you elaborate?
I think they call more in general. However, one of my strong suits as a poker player is my ability to read someone’s personality. I just have more experience doing that with men because most tournaments are primarily men, right?
When you play one ladies tournament a year, a lot of these women are on women’s tours and they all know each other. I don't really know anybody. I don't have reads on anybody.
The psychological aspect of a ladies tournament is just different, and it's really hard to explain why. I haven't been able to figure it out, but I feel like I have a better handle on it this year.
Do you think a women-only tournament is still a good idea?
Yes, I've always thought these events were good for poker. I have a very good friend who simply doesn't enjoy playing with men and prefers to have more fun playing with other women.
It's amazing that there are opportunities for women to just play with women. If that's what they want to do, more power to them.
As for me, I don't have a preference.
Angela Jordison makes Ladies Event Day 2
PokerOrg also tracked down a regular on the poker circuit, Angela Jordison, who owns two WSOP Circuit rings and has amassed more than $800,000 in career cashes.
You just had a deep run, finishing eighth in the WSOP Tag Team event. How are you feeling?
I came in pretty quietly yesterday after busting the Tag Team event. I felt I had made a mistake to bust.
How’s your Ladies Event going so far on Day 2?
I've had a very positive experience this time. I’ve had a mixed bag in these events in the past. So far, I've had wonderful tables, and it was exactly what I needed after busting.
What’s your take on the controversy regarding what Christina Gollins shared with PokerOrg?
I don't think what Christina said is very far off base. It's something that we have all experienced. I think we can do better and change it one table at a time. I’ve had a very positive experience during this event so far.
Do you have any suggestions on how we can encourage more women to learn and enjoy the game?
I’ve been in the game for a very long time, and honestly, the numbers have been pretty much the same the whole time. I think that it's unlikely that the numbers will grow rapidly. That's my own opinion.
Do you encourage women to play poker?
I have a mixed bag of thoughts on whether I'll ever go out and seek women into this lifestyle. It’s been good to me. If women find the game on their own, I'll support them, but I'm not into bringing people into the casinos all the time.
Casinos can just swallow people up. It’s never been my priority to encourage people to be in casinos as much as I have been in my life.
Note: As of 6.30pm, Jordison has taken over the chip lead.
