John Gale

John Gale was born in London in 1953. He left school at 16 and worked in retail and management consulting before founding his own company that helped businesses go public. He didn't start playing Texas Hold'em until mid-2004, quickly showing talent. In January 2005, he qualified for the World Poker Tour (WPT) Caribbean Poker Adventure via an online satellite, surprisingly defeating 461 players to win $890,600. This victory prompted him to sell his company and become a professional poker player.

2005 WSOP First Success

At the 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP), Gale cashed four times, including a runner-up finish in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em event (losing to Brian Wilson). He also advanced to Day 2 of the Main Event, finishing 522nd (2006 WSOP Main Event).

2006 WSOP First Gold Bracelet

At the 2006 WSOP, Gale won Event #29 ($2,500 Pot-Limit Hold'em). His final hand was K♣9♠ against Maros Lechman's A♠6♠, with a community cards of T♣9♦7♣5♠2♣, earning $374,849 and his first WSOP gold bracelet.

2015 WSOP Second Gold Bracelet

At the 2015 WSOP, Gale won Event #18 ($1,000 Turbo No-Limit Hold'em). Heads-up, he held 2♣2♥ and called his opponent's All-in holding A♣3♠. The board ran 8♥4♥4♦10♠9♣, giving Gale the win and $298,290, making him a two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner.

WPT and Other Events

Gale made 2 WPT final tables and won 1 title. Besides his 2005 PCA Main Event victory, he finished 3rd in the 2007 WPT Borgata Winter Open ($443,096) and 11th in the 2008 WPT Bellagio Cup ($64,640). He also had 3 EPT cashes.

Gale was known for a solid, disciplined style, with strong chip management and hand reading. He rarely engaged in social media hype and was always courteous at the table, earning the nickname "Gentleman John." His post-flop skills and patience were key to his long-term consistency.

In 2012, Gale was diagnosed with a brain tumor and also underwent heart surgery during that time. In 2015, doctors recommended further surgery, but he ignored their advice and went to Las Vegas, miraculously winning his second gold bracelet. On November 18, 2019, Gale passed away at age 65. The cause may have been related to aftereffects of brain tumor treatment, but was not definitively confirmed. He is survived by his wife Shirley and four children.