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It’s hard to keep track of all the ways Lupe Soto has contributed to the poker industry. Not only did she found the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in 2008, she’s been instrumental in launching the Ladies International Poker Series, Senior Poker Tour & Women’s Poker Association to name a few.
Soto’s roots in poker run deep. She recalls how when she started playing at her local casino, 5 card stud was the only form of poker on offer. Throughout all the changes the industry has gone through, it’s clear her passion for poker is just as strong today as when she first learned the game.
Lupe shares how a complicated family life left her on her own at the age of 12. She recalls how life could've been very different for her, but her drive and the goodwill from others helped her overcome the adversities in her life and go on to achieve great things. In fact, the generosity she received from others is largely what has driven her to “pay it forward” and help so many people.
Other topics covered in the conversation include her most treasured memories, giving women a voice & and making poker more accessible for new players.
Check out our interviews with earlier guests from The Heart of Poker, including David Lappin, Erin Lydon, Tana Karn, Johnnie Vibes & more!
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If there’s anyone championing women in poker, it’s Erin Lydon. The Poker Power president has an incredible passion for not only the game, but also the lessons we can learn from it and apply to everyday life.
From working on Wall Street to speaking at Tedx events, Lydon has had an incredibly decorated professional career(including being the Vice President of JP Morgan for 6.5 years). However, she’s spent the last 4 years in leadership positions at Poker Power, where they teach women+ about the game and how to apply its teachings to their professional lives as well.
During the podcast, Erin and Kara discuss her upbringing and how she’s tried to do things differently raising her own children. Other topics the two discuss include work-life balance, saying “yes” to more things and what lies ahead in her personal and professional life.
Check out our interviews with earlier guests from The Heart of Poker, including David Lappin, Maria Ho, Tana Karn, Justin Bonomo & more!
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On this month’s episode of The Heart Of Poker Podcast, Kara Scott speaks with poker player, writer and fellow podcast host David Lappin. Not one to mince words, Lappin is known for calling it as he sees it when it comes to his writing. However, as this podcast unfolds, we learn that he’s far from motivated by clickbait titles or attention seeking behaviour.
Interestingly, both Kara and David found poker through TV. Lappin reveals that a writing gig, where one of his characters was a poker player, was the impetus for him to pursue a deeper understanding of the game. As luck would have it, the writing gig dried up and he turned to his newfound poker skills to keep “to keep the wolf from the door” as he describes it.
The conversation evolves from poker to relationships and Lappin shares what qualities he’s always sought out in his friendships. The two go on to discuss other topics such as underground online card rooms, aging & his family.
Check out our interviews with earlier guests from The Heart of Poker, including Tana Karn, Justin Bonomo, Alex O’Brien, and Maria Ho.
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If you’ve ever found yourself at a RunGood poker tournament or sporting one of their signature t-shirts, then you have Tana Karn to thank. The mastermind behind the apparel and live event brand sits down with Kara Scott for a candid exchange on his humble beginnings.
As a first-generation American born to Thai parents, he talks about his upbringing in his parents' restaurant and how that experience formed the foundation of his hospitality skills. His father’s advice of “build things to last” clearly stuck with Karn, as he launched RunGood when he was only 23. Though it wasn’t the powerhouse it is today, he shares how success early on meant “someone buying a t-shirt.”
Even though RunGood has become a three-time Global Poker Awards Best Mid-Major Tour winner, Karn still speaks of his superstitions and how he doesn’t like to show up for the beginning of a Day 1A “in case no one shows up.” Although it's hard to believe that would ever be the case, it's become clear that Karn is a man of the people and his infectious energy is what continues to bring people into the RunGood world.
Check out our interviews with earlier guests from The Heart of Poker, including Johnnie Vibes, Justin Bonomo, Mustapha Kanit, and Maria Ho.
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If you’re familiar with Brazilian poker players, then you will certainly have heard of Felipe Ramos. Playing professionally for 16 years now, Ramos currently sits at 4th in the Brazil all-time money list and has racked up a whopping $3.6 million in live earnings alone.
Kara and Felipe actually worked together over 10 years prior, so the two have a level of comfort that lets them get deep right off the bat. Ramos opens up about how he left a 6-year career in finance to pursue poker and the disappointment and worry it caused in his family. He shares how despite this unfavourable reception, he trusted the vision he had for himself and stuck to the goals he set out for himself.
The conversation then moves to his upbringing, and when asked what he would change about his childhood, he shares his thoughts on lying to children(and how that affects his parenting today). Other topics the two cover include conserving Brazilian national parks, growing up in a rough neighbourhood and being very emotional.
Check out our interviews with earlier guests from The Heart of Poker, including Johnnie Vibes, Justin Bonomo, Mustapha Kanit and Maria Ho.
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Alex O’Brien is a fascinating person - poker player, science writer and author. She first captured the poker industry’s attention when she won a tournament which should have resulted in a high profile heads-up match with Dan Bilzerian. However, when the match fell through, it ignited a conversation around women in poker and the role of ambassadors in our game.
Her new book ‘The Truth Detective’ will be published later this year and it uses the game of poker as a blueprint for how to discover truth in our current ‘post-truth’ world. The ability to sniff out truth in a poker game is crucial to a player’s bottom line, but the stakes are even higher in politics, public life and our personal lives. Using the skills that poker teaches us, we can create a roster of techniques to employ when trying to separate the truth from the lies.
As friends, Alex and the Heart of Poker host Kara Scott dive into how truth affects us each on a deeply personal level, how it impacts our friendships and relationships, while discussing those things that truly motivate us.
Check out our interviews with earlier guests from The Heart of Poker, including Jaman Burton, Angela Jordison, Mustapha Kanit and Maria Ho.
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You may already know quite a bit about Johnnie Moreno AKA ‘Johnnie Vibes’ from his popular vlogs and videos, but in this episode of The Heart of Poker podcast, he dives even deeper into life’s big questions with host Kara Scott.
The two walk back through Johnnie's personal history with the game of poker and how his incredibly tight knit family group has been such a huge source of joy and support for him throughout his career. He has a deep curiosity about life and loves to throw himself into new things, to push his own boundaries and learn new skills.
As one of the big content creators in the poker space, Johnnie is well positioned for a discussion with Kara on how the poker media is changing right now, and not always for the good. They discuss how living and working in such a public way is both a privilege and a responsibility and they evaluate how to find balance, including figuring out what is his ‘north star’ in life.
Check out previous episodes with Nemo, Greg Merson, Ebony Kenney, Justin Bonomo, David Williams and more!
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Nemo Qiyu Zhou (also known online as AkaNemsko) is a gamer, esports star and content creator with an impressive following. After learning chess at the age of 3, she found incredible success in the game, earning herself title after title. A women’s Chess grandmaster, Nemo gave up professional chess to focus on her life, and although you can still find her streaming chess, other games including poker, round out her interests now.
In an interview recorded in November 2022, Kara and Nemo get into some of the crossovers they see between broadcasting and content creation, including the anxiety that can come with both. Nemo speaks candidly about the toll that kind of pressure can take on a person, especially at such a young age.
Nemo and Kara go on to discuss the ‘sliding doors’ moment where she stepped away from her studies and how futile it can be to focus on past choices, even the wins. As someone who has achieved so much, so young, her focus now is to continue building a sense of ‘home’ – wherever that might take her.
Don’t forget to check out our previous episodes with Ryan Laplante, Jaman Burton, Adam Pliska, Mori Eskandani, Barny Boatman, Nadya Magnus and many more of poker’s most fascinating personalities.
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With over $60 million in live tournament earnings, Justin Bonomo sits squarely at the top of the all-time money leaderboard for poker. No stranger to controversy or strong opinions, Justin opens up to The Heart of Poker’s Kara Scott about topics ranging from Burning Man, what he wishes people knew about him, his greatest fears and his idea of an absolutely perfect day.
Justin reveals to Kara what he’d love his life to look like in the future and the importance of connection, love and friendships. They pull at the threads of misperception around the term ‘toxic masculinity’ and dive into how important it is for men and boys to be able to talk comfortably about their feelings and the actual strength that shows.
Content warning: While talking about his early struggles with depression Justin and Kara touch on the difficult subject of dealing with suicidal ideation and what it can be like to face that and come through it. If anyone listening is feeling a similar darkness please reach out for help or call a suicide hotline in your area.
Don’t forget to check out our previous episodes with such fantastic guests as Mustapha Kanit, David Tuchman, Tiffany Michelle, Jon Van Fleet and Benny Glaser.
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Angela Jordison was named 2022 GPA Breakout Player of the Year after narrowly missing out on two GPI POY awards. Not only a fierce competitor, and a real joy to watch on the felt, she’s a fan favourite and for good reason.
During their interview, Angela and Kara discuss how important it is to have a positive impact on the poker community. Not one for empty words, Angela recently put her money where her mouth is. She tells the story of what prompted her to spearhead an initiative along with her friend and fellow poker player Jackie Burkhart to send multiple US veterans to play in the WSOP Salute to Warriors tournament.
Speaking about her sometimes surreal journey through 2022, she opened up on how tough it was to give herself proper credit at the time. She talks about her fantastic support system full of people who pushed her to own her success and examines the perils of wrestling with imposter syndrome, even while being held up as ‘one to watch’.
Through their conversation Angela gives valuable insights into what it takes to play your best. They dive into what concrete things made the difference THAT year in particular and how having the freedom to finally focus solely on poker gave her exactly what she needed.
Don’t forget to check out our previous episodes with Mustapha Kanit, Xuan Liu, Patrick Leonard, Farah Galfond, Fedor Holz and Greg Merson.
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With his recorded winnings closing in on the $20 million mark, it would be easy to think Italian high roller Mustapha Kanit’s greatest skills are on the felt. However according to Kanit, it’s his natural willingness to embrace making mistakes and his drive to confront his fears that are his real super powers.
In this candid and personal interview, Mustapha tells the story of his early entry into poker and the lessons he learned along the way. In fact, his love of games started from a very young age. He recalls a memory of playing a card game with his nanny at just 3 years old and shares how those early experiences gave him an understanding of math before he even began school.
The accomplished pro goes on to talk about the key differences that create the chasm between the good and the truly great players in poker and how family, friends and love are at the foundation of a life well lived.
Check out earlier episodes of the Heart of poker with guests such as Vivian Saliba, Ryan Laplante, Lon McEachern and Jon ‘Apestyles’ Van Fleet.
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With 4 WSOP final tables under her belt already, Brazilian poker pro and streamer Vivian Saliba is a force to be reckoned with at the PLO and NLHE tables.
The 888poker Ambassador’s drive to succeed in poker was actually born out of necessity. At just 18 years old, while her family was contending with financial difficulties, a young Vivian played poker to put herself through college and pay her bills. Failure was not an option for her.
With that kind of grounding in the game, it’s no wonder she places so much value on hard work. As she sits down with Kara to talk about the drivers for her success and where she wants to go next, the two touch on topics such as making the world a better place, the benefits of constantly evolving into a better version of yourself, aging and learning all that life has to offer.
Kara and Vivian then go on to discuss a recent snowboarding trip, which included both Vivian’s most terrifying moment and one of her most embarrassing!
Check out earlier episodes of The Heart of Poker with guests such as Benny Glaser, Greg Merson, Katie Lindsay, Adam Pliska and Nadya Magnus.
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For this episode of the Heart of Poker podcast, Kara digs into the history of one of the most prolific and recognizable voices in poker commentary, David Tuchman. With extensive credits, going all the way back to the early 2000s for Live at the Bike, David Tuchman is easily recognizable as one of the OG player/broadcasters of the poker industry.
Kara and David start off discussing how they became friends, traveling the poker circuit and working on many of the same poker broadcasts over the years. They look back at those wild, early days and reminisce about the infamous EPT player's party at the ‘Titty Twister Bar’ in Dortmund, Germany - a volatile cocktail of debauchery and enormous snakes that few have forgotten. When Kara asks David about the phenomenon of ‘love at first sight’, the answer was one she was NOT expecting.
The two friends sift through the generational differences they have seen with their parents and their kids, and David opens up about some of his own biggest fears and how he has approached them in life.
In typical Heart of Poker fashion, David and Kara go on to discuss such odd and varied topics as David’s temper, their shared fear of dentists and which would be the best way to die.
Don't forget to check out previous episodes with great broadcasters and poker players like Lon McEachern, Jennifer Harman, Vicky Coren, Dominik Nitsche and Jason Koon.
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With a wealth of experience in poker, British funnyman and commentator Nick Wealthall has an insight into the industry that rivals anyone. Currently one of the main voices of 888poker’s live and online events, Nick has had a long and storied past in the industry. In fact, it was nearly 20 years ago now that he and The Heart of Poker host Kara Scott were doing commentary on a tiny, middle of the night cable TV show in London.
The two are old friends and have since worked together on many of the game’s biggest platforms. They discuss the old days of poker, how things have changed in the industry and reminisce about their early days on the road together. They talk about some of their big moments; from being there when the other was struggling, boozy pre-show dinners, to Kara performing the ceremony at Nick's wedding.
Kara and Nick also relate about the nerves that can come during live broadcasts and give some tips for turning that potential anxiety into something productive. They also share some great insights on dealing with some of life’s scariest things(for Nick, that would be hippos) and they deliberate over where a ‘drive to succeed’ comes from.
Don’t forget to check out previous episodes with recent Women in Poker Hall of Fame inductee Vanessa Selbst, Tony Dunst, Ali Nejad, Andrew Neeme, Faraz Jaka, David Willams and Jennifer Harman.
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Well known for his incredible work ethic, both as a poker pro and as the founder of his own training site Learn Pro Poker, Ryan Laplante believes that life and poker reflect the hard work we put into them.
Laplante took down his first bracelet in a 2016 PLO event as one of the highlights of a live poker career that started the literal moment he turned 21. When Black Friday shut down online poker, Ryan waited an agonizing 4 weeks to be legally allowed to play live and he was standing at the doors of a casino ready to play the moment the clock struck midnight. That moment was the start of a live career which has netted him nearly $3 million in cashes, since.
A romantic at heart, Ryan married his partner of 12 years just a few months ago in a Star Trek themed wedding. He talks about how Black Friday hitting just after they started dating impacted their relationship and how important his now-husband's support has been throughout the past 12 years.
Kara and Ryan go on to talk about how a difficult early childhood, that was marked by poverty, was part of the motivation that drove him. He also shares how a recently revealed family secret held for decades has resulted in his family circle becoming even larger and more full of love than he could have imagined.
Don’t forget to check out previous episodes with Jaman Burton, Katie Lindsay, Adam Pliska, Brandon Shack-Harris, Xuan Liu and Patrick Leonard and more.
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If you follow poker vlogs, then you have no doubt come across The Drawing Dead vlog by Jaman Burton.
Burton, who is one the most influential poker vloggers in the space, brings something completely unique to the table in the form of a poker vlog with graphic novel style illustrations woven in.
And while it may be nice to gain some recognition within the poker community, Burton shares with Kara that it’s not all roses. Between the pressures of being an “influencer”, having opponents who may know far more about your game than you’d like or the pressure to always be “on”, it can be a lot to deal with. Still, he recognizes that these are small problems to have in the big picture.
Kara and Jaman go on to discuss the importance family has played in his life. From the gratitude he has for an incredible upbringing to the pride and sense of accomplishment he gets from raising his daughter, family has always been a key component of his life.
Other topics Kara and Jaman cover include quitting smoking, the possibility that we’re living in a simulation and how he used to use his charm and persuasiveness for evil as a young man.
Don’t forget to check out previous episodes with Greg Merson, Tiffany Michelle, Lon McEachern, Nadya Magnus, Phil Galfond, Jason Koon, Katie Lindsay, Benny Glaser, Maria Ho, Fedor Holz and many more of poker’s most fascinating personalities.
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One of the more notable names from the ESPN era of the World Series Of Poker is undoubtably Greg Merson.
Merson, who took home $8,531,853 for winning the Main Event in 2012, instantly became a household name within the poker community. Having gotten sober a year prior, his story and accomplishment became an inspiration to many who battled addiction.
But where do you go after winning the Main Event? For Merson, his obsession with becoming the best version of himself motivated him to seek out ways to progress and increase his edge in the game. He shares how hypnotherapy and meditation have been powerful tools in his growth on and off the felt.
Interestingly, even more than a decade after winning the Main Event, he shares how he still gets a sense of euphoria from playing poker and how his focus has now shifted to competing with himself.
However, for all the excitement and achievements he’s earned in his poker career, Merson shares how becoming a father, not once but twice, is the greatest accomplishment of his life.
Other topics Kara and Greg touch are playing poker during the pandemic, his relationship with his parents and how he had the most fun at the WSOP this year since winning the Main Event.
Don’t forget to check out previous episodes with Tiffany Michelle, Lon McEachern, Nadya Magnus, Phil Galfond, Jason Koon, Katie Lindsay, Benny Glaser, Maria Ho, Fedor Holz and many more of poker’s most fascinating personalities.
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On this episode of The Heart of Poker, Kara goes deep with poker player, social media maven and tv personality Tiffany Michelle.
Michelle, who many would recognize on and off the felt, first made a splash in the poker world at the 2008 World Series of Poker, when she finished 17th out of 6844 players, making her the last woman standing.
In fact, it was that huge accomplishment that Michelle credits for opening the doors to many of the opportunities she’s had in her life since. It wasn’t all positivity though, as that attention came with its share of negativity and even a made-for-tv rivalry with Kara (who was in contention for last woman standing that same year).
Poker accomplishments aside, Michelle credits a lot of her success to a supportive upbringing and the strong foundation it created for her to move forward confidently in life.
Gratitude is a common theme, as the traumatic moments she(and those close to her) have gone through have helped her put into perspective the seemingly trivial things we sometimes get hung up on. She opens up about her twin brother’s near-death experience and how that’s started a dialogue around mortality, something she is still trying to get comfortable with.
Other topics that Kara and Tiffany go on to discuss include her religious upbringing, learning to play poker with her grandfather and an appreciation for authenticity in her friendships.
Don’t forget to check out previous episodes with Lon McEachern, Nadya Magnus, John Van Fleet, Jason Koon, Ebony Kenney, Benny Glaser, Katie Lindsay and many more of poker’s most fascinating personalities.
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On this episode of the Heart of Poker, Kara is joined by prolific businesswoman and poker powerhouse, Katie Lindsay.
Lindsay, who has racked up nearly 2.5 million dollars in live and online cashes combined, has been a been a mainstay in the poker community for many years dating back to pre-Black Friday.
After getting hooked on poker by the fascinating story of Chris Moneymaker, she got a foot in the door of the industry by writing for a poker magazine and eventually started an agency where she represented up to 30 poker pros. However, despite her knack for putting people in the spotlight, she prefers to keep a private life and has zero desire to be famous herself.
And while she may be a laser-focused entrepreneur and an accomplished poker pro, she also likes to remind herself how fortunate she is to play poker for a living and doesn’t mind having a drink and some fun while sitting at the table. She shares how having this attitude helps her relax and enjoy her time at the table, no matter what the results.
Kara and Katie go on to touch on the double standards women in poker experience, why happiness is a choice and how Katie makes new friends everywhere she goes.
Don’t forget to check out previous episodes with Lon McEachern, Nadya Magnus, Jon Van Fleet, Jason Koon, Ebony Kenney, Benny Glaser, Maria Ho and many more of poker’s most fascinating personalities.
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In this episode of the Heart of Poker Podcast, Kara Scott speaks with long-time friend and colleague Lon McEachern.
An absolute poker legend, known as the "Voice of Poker", Lon McEachern has been one half of the commentary team that started providing commentary for the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2003. And for many years Kara has been right there with him as part of the WSOP broadcast team. The two developed a strong working relationship and friendship that shows in this far-ranging discussion.McEachern's voice is burned into the minds of poker players around the world so it's interesting to hear him talking when he's not calling poker action. It's also striking to hear him when he's not playing the straight man to Norman Chad's comic relief.
In this episode, McEachern and Scott delve into existential quandaries like the meaning of life and how Kara big-timed Lon the first time they met at the WSOP back in 2008. You know, regular friend stuff.
Listen to the newest episode for another fascinating look at the people behind the world's most popular poker faces, and check back in our catalogue for episodes with Fedor Holz, Nadya Magnus, Phil Galfond, Jason Koon, Ebony Kenney, Benny Glaser, Maria Ho and many more of poker’s most fascinating personalities.
- Visa fler
