Mike Sexton Elected to Poker Hall of Fame
By Adam Ulick | October 16, 2009
The results of the Poker Hall of Fame voting are in and of the nine nominees, only one will be inducted in November: Mike Sexton. Sexton was named on a minimum of 75 percent of the Hall of Fame ballots, submitted by the living members of the Hall and 15 selected members of the poker media. The eight other nominees were Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Dan Harrington, Tom McEvoy, Scotty Nguyen, and Erik Seidel. The induction ceremony will take place on November 7th during the conclusion of the World Series of Poker.
The criteria for the Poker Hall of Fame, all of which Sexton far exceeded, are laid out on Harrah´s World Series of Poker site as follows:
- A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
- Played for high stakes
- Played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers
- Stood the test of time
- Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.
Mike Sexton began playing poker in earnest in 1977 and moved out to Nevada in 1985 to play full time. His first World Series of Poker cashes were in 1984, when he made the final tables of the $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha and $1,000 Seven Card Stud Split events, although back then, those accomplishments barely made him over $10,000 combined. His lone WSOP bracelet was also his first six-figure cash, when he won the $1,500 Seven Card Stud Split event. Coincidentally, fellow Hall of Fame nominee Men “The Master” Nguyen was also at that final table, placing fourth. All told, Sexton has 46 finishes in the money at the World Series of Poker, ranking him thirteenth all-time.
In his career, Mike Sexton has won almost $3.8 million in poker tournaments worldwide.
For those who know little about Mike Sexton, they may look at his single WSOP bracelet and think that, despite his longevity and accumulated statistics, he really isn´t an accomplished enough player to be named one of the 38 elite in the game´s history. What those people would be missing, however, is Sexton´s impact on the game and the poker community.
Mike Sexton, despite not being one of the “young guns” of modern poker, is arguably the most recognizable face to poker players around the world, especially the casual player. He was one of the first poker players to be a spokesperson for an online poker room, teaming up with PartyPoker. Along with Shana Hiatt, Sexton became synonymous with PartyPoker.com for several years in the early part of this decade. After the UIGEA was passed and PartyPoker.com lost the vast majority of its player base, Sexton faded from the forefront of internet poker, but his relationship with Party was renewed earlier this year.
Sexton is best known, however, for being one of the commentators for the World Poker Tour, along with Vince Van Patten. His friendly voice, fun lingo, and willingness to educate the novice player have made him a favorite of poker fans everywhere. His love for the game and its players can be felt through the television – he comes off as everyone´s favorite uncle. His PartyPoker.com cohort, Shana Hiatt, was also the hostess of the World Poker Tour for several seasons.
Earlier this year, Sexton, along with Jan Fisher, Lisa Tenner, and Linda Johnson, created PokerGives.org. The organization aims to support charities through support from the poker industry. Sexton has a history of giving, having donated half of his million dollar prize from the 2006 Tournament of Champions to charity.
We at TightPoker.com would like to congratulate Mike Sexton on this great honor. He represents everything that is good about poker and truly deserves his nickname as the “Ambassador of Poker.”
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