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Lupe Soto Interview – A True Champion for Women in Poker
Lupe Soto has advocated for Women in Poker since the late 1990. Starting as a "weekend warrior" mixed games player, she soon saw a need to promote women in poker. She has spent the majority of her poker career advocating for women in poker, seeking both inclusion and to honor the pioneers of women's poker.
Her advocacy led to the founding of the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in 2008. The WiPHoF is about to induct its 10th class in December, celebrating the accomplishments of women in poker throughout the decades.
We spoke with Lupe recently about her advocacy work in poker. We started by discussing her background in poker and how her professional life led to her charitable endeavors. Later, we delved into her advocacy efforts for women in poker, including her vision for the future of the WiPHoF.
Poker Beginnings and Charitable Work
We spoke with Lupe about how she got started in poker and started running poker-based charities. Her professional background before entering the poker world would play a significant role in her future in the poker industry.
Why is poker so prominent in your life? Can you tell us how it all started?
"I think I am like a lot of people… once you catch the "poker bug" you're hooked! I happened to catch it in the late 90's, and it's in my nature to delve deep once I find something I enjoy.
Initially, I was the girl who sat behind the boy and watched him play. After a few months, I began criticizing his play, and he didn't like it much. He told me to go get on a table and play on my own, which I did. I loved everything about the game. The social aspects, the critical thinking skills, THE BLUFF! We spent many weekends at the local poker room playing Stud and Omaha. Then, I attended the CA State Ladies Poker Championship at Oceans 11 Casino in Oceanside, CA and met the most amazing women. I was terrified at first because I knew no one. But they were so welcoming and helpful, and to this day, there is nothing like the event they produced for women in the industry.
I have tried to duplicate that experience with my LIPS Tour, but it's impossible. The casino poured so much money into the series, and in this day and age, most poker rooms are budgeted to do something like this."
You have a vocation with social causes. Which drives you most, and how did this start?
"My background is in therapy and social services. In fact, it was when I had a run-in with my "Board Chair" of the non-profit I was running that I decided to leave it and lock myself in my house to learn everything I could about the internet. It was there that I discovered online poker, and it was life-changing for me. My heart will always be in helping those less fortunate. But now I do it in a volunteer position, and it's so freeing!"
How do these two aspects of your life, poker + charities, influence the different events you host?
"Poker players are some of the most generous people I know. If not with the money, they give of their time. When I moved to Las Vegas in 2005, I saw there was a lot of need. My good friend (another poker player) and I decided to tackle a few of the needs we identified and formed a charity called "When Charity Works". She was in Reno, and I was in Las Vegas. Well, we were good at what we did, and we had to split up the charity as it was becoming difficult to serve both Northern and Southern Nevada. It was around that time that Linda Johnson, Mike Sexton, and Jan Fisher were interested in retiring from Poker Gives. They asked me if I would take it over, and I did. We formed Vegas Connected Inc., and Poker Gives now serves as the fundraising arm of our charity.
We are still an all-volunteer organization and host three direct service programs. A pop-up soup kitchen that feeds the homeless, a youth program for homeless students, and a military families program that helps families referred by the family service center when they don't have a program to help them.
I use as many opportunities as I can to raise funds. We sell fun items at our events, host a 50/50 raffle, and even host charity poker tournaments. Since we're all volunteers, our funds go a long way in helping people!"
I understand that you have been involved in a project called National Poker Gives Day since 2023. Please tell us more about that. I see that you have been the director of the charity on their website since 2015.
"We have done a National Poker Gives Day where there was a designated day where a property would do a charity add-on to their poker event of the day to support Poker Gives. Since we are now serving mostly local initiatives, we aren't doing it anymore. However, we have discussed bringing it back with a 50/50 initiative with 50% to Poker Gives and 50% to a local charity of their choice. It is still in the discussion stages. =)."
Advocating for Women in Poker and Starting the Women in Poker Hall of Fame
We shifted gears from charity to poker advocacy and spoke with Lupe about her work promoting women in poker. She started the first online forum for women’s poker, Poker Chix, in 2002.
From there, Lupe has remained an advocate of women in poker, ultimately founding the Women in Poker Hall of Fame and the Women in Poker Association.
What awesome stories/anecdotes do you have about Poker Chix?
I think the most important aspect of the Poker Chix is that these women are still connected. Like a huge extended family. Now it's been over 20 years, so we have lost several "chixters", but they live on forever with us. If anyone needed anything, the others would be there for them.
In the interview with Bernard Lee, you told the story of Poker Chix and how the site also hosted online poker tournaments exclusively for women. Then online poker was banned in the USA. Would you be open to hosting another Poker Chix event globally in a freeroll format (without betting)? It can be a charity with the buy-ins. LegalUSPokerSites.com might be interested in hosting this with a new Freeroll platform we launch in October.
"Of course we would! The Poker Chix OG's still play together. We have been playing on Monday nights on the Poker Stars home games for nothing but bragging rights for the last 14 years!"
How is it different when women play poker without men?
“Poker is a social experience, so the discussions around the table, which tend to last hours, are more enjoyable between women than between competitive men.
Women talk about everything. It's not unusual for there to be loads of chatter at the tables while playing. When it happens at an open table where several women are seated together, you find the men get a bit disturbed by it. Oh well!"
You debate that if online poker were legal again, women's participation in the WSOP would increase from 4% to maybe 15%. Can you share a bit more about your views on regulating online poker?
"I was the NV State Representative when we were fighting for online poker. To me, it's the most ridiculous ban there is in our country. If it's legalized and regulated and companies are held to the compliance rules the States set, we all win! Money is enough to fund a lot of needs in every state."
Please tell us a little about the WPA (Women in Poker Association), WPA poker, what it is, and maybe a big project or one in the works?
"WPA is an all-volunteer organization created to be an advocacy group for women in poker. A united voice for women poker players in the industry. We encourage operators and poker players to look at our game and the environment we're in. We ask for everyone to maintain a safe, fun, and respectful space to play in. And for operators to create internal policies and training to address abuse in the room and how they will handle it. It makes it better for all who play and work in poker."
How can companies or individuals become sponsors of the WPA?
There is a Board of Directors of the WPA, and they are working hard to elevate the experience for women. They celebrate women's tournaments with a trophy and small promotional gifts for the final tables. It's not cheap! Any outside support either financially or helping to spread the information of the initiatives, is a huge help.
What was your motivation for founding the WiPHoF? What do you want it to achieve?
"Being that poker is such a male-dominated industry, women who are deserving of induction may never see it because of the sheer numbers. And after learning of the most amazing women whose talents and contributions deserve recognition, I felt it needed to be formed.
Barbara Enright, Jennifer Harman, and Linda Johnson are the only women inducted into the WiPHoF and the PHOF. Who do you feel some women deserve to be included in the PHOF?
I think many of the WiPHoF members deserve a spot in the PHOF as well. If you look at why those three made it, it was because of either exceptional play or their historical contributions to the game. We have several women who are in line with those attributes. I would love to see the PHOF redeveloped. It seriously needs it.
Do you accept volunteers for the Women In Poker Hall of Fame event? How would you like readers to help out?
“Yes, we do! It’s a big undertaking to produce the event. Not only do we need sponsors to contribute funds, but we need all hands on deck to help with the event itself. From folding programs to greeting guests, we need and love our volunteers!
Also, we ask the public to cast their votes for their choice of candidate for the Hall. The public vote acts as one voting member of the Hall."
What is your vision for the WiPHoF for the next 10 years?
"I would love to see both the PHOF and WiPHoF for work in tandem. We need a physical place to display the hall. Every sport/industry has one! We need one too!"
What new projects would you like to execute if you had the resources to do it today?
"Oh boy… I have a file drawer stuffed with things! Lol, I want to accomplish three more things before I retire. One is to honor Mike Sexton with the All American Poker Tour.
Second is to teach and create opportunities for players to learn Mixed Games (which is my passion!) either with a tour, or nationwide MUG’s.
And lastly, I would like to establish a Poker Museum. Our history is rich, and we need to embrace the past to create the future!"
A True Champion for Women in Poker
Lupe Soto has been working diligently for over two decades, looking to give women the types of experiences that she enjoyed as a beginner. She understands the struggles that women face in the game and works to promote an atmosphere of inclusion for women of all skill levels.
While the Women in Poker Hall of Fame is presently receiving the bulk of the attention, women's poker advocacy is a 24-7, 365-day-a-year project. The poker industry has come a long way in 20 years, but there is still work to be done. Lupe Soto will remain at the forefront of advocacy, seeking to ensure that all women are welcome in poker.
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