Gladys Barry, aka Omaha Gigi, Grandma Poker Player. A Conversation With Michele Barry

Some women take up crafting or knitting or volunteering in their later years. For Gladys Barry, also known as Gigi, there was a different hobby: Poker.

Gigi was born in Brooklyn and worked as a math teacher in elementary school. She learned to play poker from some of her friends, and realized she had a knack for it.

So she began to play in low stakes tournaments, and kept getting better and better, earning herself the nickname Omaha Gigi.

Once, she went into a casino and sat at a table filled with young guys, and someone came and said, 'let’s move you to an older table.' Omaha Gigi was not having it. She said, 'you just sit and watch me play,' and that casino worker quickly realized his mistake. Gigi wasn't messing around, and stayed at the table.

With her earnings, Gigi helped pay for her daughter's medical school tuition.

On this episode, Katie talks to Gigi's daughter, Dr. Michele Barry, who is the senior associate dean for global health and director of the Center for Innovation in Global Health in the Stanford School of Medicine.

She has traveled the world for studies and conferences, often bringing her mother along with her--whether she wanted to or not.

Our Mothers Ourselves is an interview podcast that celebrates extraordinary mothers from all walks of life. Please share the one word that best describes your mother on the Mother Word Cloud.