The Heart of Poker Podcast karascott

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.