After nearly eight years as an ambassador for 888poker, Kara Scott has called it a day.
The Canadian TV host, presenter, and poker player Kara Scott joined the 888 team in 2016. In her role, she fronted several of 888’s marketing activities, including launching poker podcasts such as “The Heart of Poker.”
In a candid conversation, we delved into Scott’s experiences with 888poker, reflecting on the highlights of her journey and gaining insights into what lies ahead as she bids adieu to the 888 team.
Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Could you tell us more about your background — where you grew up, your current location and how long have you been involved in the poker industry?
I was born in Canada but lived in the UK, USA, Italy and now Slovenia for most of my adult life. I started playing poker as a kid but didn’t find NLHE until 2005 when I was invited to work on a poker TV show in London, England.
You’ve been associated with 888poker for eight years. Can you share some of the highlights and memorable moments during your time with the company?
It has been a really lovely partnership and I’m glad for all the great people I’ve had a chance to work with. Traveling around Europe for the 888poker LIVE events is great but there were also some special poker trips for VIP players and contest winners that I hosted in my early days with 888poker and they were so much fun.
Starting my podcast was an interesting challenge for me as it was a new format to tackle. I’m used to working on-camera so the radio-style interview stretched some new muscles and it was fun to be nominated for a GPA award for Heart of Poker.
It was gratifying to be with 888poker while they won some meaningful industry awards over the last few years. Being able to see from the inside how hard they work and the care they bring to their jobs made me cheer all the more for them.
You launched “The Heart of Poker” podcast in partnership with 888, aiming to make people fall in love with the personalities behind the cards. Have you received feedback from listeners about specific episodes or moments that left a lasting impression on them?
It’s always great to hear from listeners about the podcasts — which ones resonate with them the most, which stories shocked them, which parts made them cry! I love personal stories and I find the nuts and bolts of what makes people tick, fascinating. Hearing from so many great players and people that they loved being on the podcast, and that it was different than anything else they’d done, THAT feels like an accomplishment. I wanted to create something that wasn’t already out there and I feel like I achieved that.
Over the years, you’ve witnessed the poker industry evolve. How do you think it has changed since you first joined 888, and what trends do you foresee in the future?
Poker is constantly evolving and that’s as it should be. I love seeing how companies are pushing the bounds of what we know poker looks like on TV, creating shows that are fun to watch in new ways. There is so much scope for gaining new audiences and players and seeing poker go more and more mainstream is great.
Being a poker player, TV personality, journalist, and brand ambassador involves wearing many hats. How do you balance these roles, and do you have a favorite aspect among them?
My first love and my career is TV broadcasting. It’s huge fun to play poker but for me the game is recreational. Although, that doesn’t mean I don’t take it seriously! I just have a real affinity for the majority of players in the world who play because they love it, rather than make a living at it. I don’t think I’d be as good at my job on camera if I didn’t know and play the game myself. You can’t really fake that enthusiasm and inside knowledge of a community. I’m grateful I get to do all sides of my career.
You’ve represented several major poker brands throughout your career. How do you approach transitions from one brand to another, and what factors influence your decisions in choosing a brand to represent?
I don’t really transition from one brand to another and there’s always a good gap between. It’s important to me to like the management team and who I’ll be working with, and to be able to respect their product. With 888poker, I really liked their focus on recreational players and felt like that aligned well with my own approach to poker. It’s also really important that it align with my TV commitments.
With such a rich history in the poker industry, do you have a favorite personal poker moment or memory that you hold dear?
There are a lot of great moments to look back on. The earlier days of poker were pretty wild in Las Vegas and I was grateful to the luminaries Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher for inviting me over for some food and to talk about the industry, really early on.
I’ve been able to form good friendships with so many people who I respect. Working with, being friends with and learning from Mike Sexton was a real privilege. Getting to host the GPA awards and the European Poker Awards before that, being commissioner for the first GPL, the first year I worked on the WSOP as sideline reporter and then the first time as the break desk anchor… there are a ton of great moments and I’ve loved all of them and look forward to the ones to come!
As you bid farewell to 888poker, what can we expect from Kara Scott in the future? Are there specific projects or areas within the poker world that you are particularly excited to explore?
I’ll be putting my energy into finally finishing some non-poker projects for 2024 but if something comes up that catches my eye, it’s hard for me to say no to poker!
