Top Pair Podcast 310: Interview With Lupe Soto

May 16, 2018

Robbie Strazynski

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In episode 310 of the Top Pair Home Game Poker Podcast, Bruce Briggs and Robbie Strazynski interview 2018 Women in Poker Hall of Fame inductee Lupe Soto. Best known for her tireless efforts to promote women in poker, Lupe has been working in the poker industry for close to two decades. In this podcast, she publicly reveals – for the first time ever – the extent of her involvement in the online poker world during its early years, as well as numerous inspiring behind-the-scenes stories of her Hall of Fame career in women’s poker advocacy.

Plus, the usual entertaining round of “home game news” from our co-hosts and a fun One Outer that’ll be sure to give you a good chuckle.

Top Pair thanks their sponsors, J Design Cards, the Poker Notes Live mobile app, and BBO Poker Tables, for their support. Be sure to check ‘em out!

Show Time Stamps

00:20	Synopsis
00:59–15:28	How Ya Runnin?
	Bruce: More tales from Eric’s “alphabet game” with the addition of “SHOP” (simultaneous Hold’em and Omaha Play). The “9:30 rule” and a little listener feedback.
	Robbie: What it’s like to suffer your biggest home game loss ever. Cliffs: It SUCKS!
17:07–1:15:05	Look Who We’ve Found (Interview with Lupe Soto)
17:23	How Lupe first got introduced to poker… it all started with Stud in the mid-1990s at Sycuan Casino.
22:22	What Lupe enjoys about poker: both the social aspects of the game as well as the mathematical, strategic, and psychological aspects.
23:36	Diving into Lupe’s home game background: “I kind of feel like I’m the queen of home games!” How the “poker hotties” groups got started nationwide in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
30:26	Discussing ladies-only home games and the possible GoFundMe initiative of an RV traveling throughout the U.S. to live-stream showcase one home game after another.
35:05	Discussing the proper etiquette, behavior, and attitude in home games and in poker rooms where both men and women are playing.
38:59	What are Lupe’s favorite poker variants and her typical stakes? Why she plays cash games (and mixed games, in particular) almost exclusively.
43:40	Fussyoldfart.com (yes… really) and seniors poker games.
47:02	In a recent interview Lupe did with Earl Burton for Poker News Daily, she casually noted that she once owned an online poker room as well as a big super-affiliate site. Digging deeper into that history, Lupe reveals on the podcast – for the first time publicly – that she founded VictoryPoker.com, which she ended up selling to and then running for Dan Fleyshman as the company’s COO.
54:20	What is LIPS (Ladies International Poker Series) all about, how and why did Lupe decide to found the organization?
57:00	Discussing the challenge of getting casinos to start running ladies-only poker tournaments. Having to wait in the lobby of the Bicycle Casino for a full day just to get a 5-minute audience with the marketing director… and how that short meeting ended up leading to a huge success for LIPS.
1:00:06	Back in 2004: “I’ve been promoting this event forever… if I can’t get 50 women to show up for this tournament, then don’t pay me!” Over 200 women showed up!
1:04:50	Why did Lupe found the Women in Poker Hall of Fame?
1:06:52	Details on the 2018 Women in Poker Hall of Fame induction ceremony: Tuesday, June 26th at the Orleans Casino. Luncheon, emceed by Jan Fisher. Open to the public. Lupe will be inducted by the First Lady of Poker, Linda Johnson.
1:12:30	Getting the word out about the brand new Women’s Poker Association (WPA).
1:16:49	One Outer – You don’t always have to pay full price for good poker stories…

You can subscribe to PokerNews’ Top Pair Home Game Poker podcast on iTunes here, or you can access the RSS feed here. The PokerNews Podcast family of podcasts is now available on audioBoom.

Follow the show on Facebook and be sure to join in the conversation on Twitter at #PNTopPair.

Follow hosts Bruce Briggs @toppair and Robbie Strazynski @cardplayerlife, also available via email: [email protected].

^{* First 296 episodes are archived and available at www.toppair.net}

Sharelines

LISTEN: Interview with 2018 Women in Poker Hall of Fame inductee Lupe Soto.
PODCAST: 2018 Women in Poker Hall of Fame inductee Lupe Soto dishes on her 20-year career in poker.
Did you know?: VictoryPoker.com was actually started by 2018 Women in Poker Hall of Famer Lupe Soto!