Mike Sexton Elected to Poker Hall of Fame

By John "Johnny Quads" Wenzel

Many feel that one of the main criteria for election to the prestigious Poker Hall of Fame is being a positive ambassador for the game. So it was no surprise when the player often referred to as the "Ambassador of Poker," Mike Sexton, was elected this year.

A true gentleman who has enhanced poker both with his play at the tables and his promotion of the game off of it, Sexton began as a player but today is a noted author, columnist, broadcaster, philanthropist and businessman. He was inducted as the 38th member of the Hall during November Nine activities at the Rio in Vegas. He was the only one of the nine finalists named to the Hall this year.

For the first time, the early stage of the nomination process was open to the public. Nominees then had be green-lighted by a selection committee and finally had to get 75 percent of the vote from a panel of Hall of Famers and media experts, including the editor of this magazine.

"I am deeply honoured to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame and it is particularly special because for the first time it was a process that involved the fans, the media and the living members of the hall of fame," Sexton said. "To me the most meaningful aspect of this process was the acceptance by the living Hall of Famers who welcomed me into their exclusive club."

Sexton is one of the most respected figures in the game and for millions of new young players, his familiar, enthusiastic and knowledgeable voice guided them as they put their first tentative toe into the poker waters.

Using the word "pioneer" would not be a stretch. He founded the Tournament of Champions tournament in the ‘90s, was the face and voice of the World Poker Tour from the beginning, was one of the founders and moulders of one of the first major online poker websites (PartyPoker), and owns a WSOP bracelet as well.

Mike is in the top ten for the most cashes at the World Series and is instantly recognizable to all poker cognoscenti. A visionary when it comes to poker, for years Mike advocated corporate involvement with poker to take the game into the mainstream. He worked diligently to that end years before the poker boom.

Notably, Sexton also won the first $10k buy-in NL hold’em championship event at Foxwoods World Poker Finals in 1992 and in 2000 was the first American to win the championship event at the Euro Finals of Poker in Paris, which at the time was the biggest event in Europe. In 2006 Sexton won the Tournament of Champions at the World Series of Poker, the concept he had originally created years earlier. He donated $500,000 of his winnings to charity and has since become a co-founder of http://www.pokergives.org/, which encourages players to make charitable donations.

Where does this stack up on your list of poker achievements?

This is the crowning achievement of my poker career because it’s not about winning a tournament or having a good year, it’s how your accomplishments in the poker world are　viewed　over the course of a career.

Who else do you feel has "stood the test of time?"

I really believe there are many great players who, like me, have stood "the test of time." And that includes all the players who were nominees for this year’s Hall of Fame. I believe that many of those will be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in the future.

Who are the toughest players you have ever played against?

This would depend on what game you are talking about. I think Stu Ungar was the greatest NL hold’em player of all time and that Chip Reese is the best all-around player of all time, and other players would rate at the top of different games. The key to ranking tough players is: "When do you rank them?" Do you do it when they’re winning tournaments or on a cash-game streak, or would you prefer ranking them when they are stuck and losing? Chip Reese recognized that when other top players were playing good that their "A" game was about the same as his. But when they were stuck, many fell to a "D" game – which Chip never did. (In fact, I don’t think he ever slipped to a "B" game.)

Back when you were playing poker for a living, what game was your main source of income?

When I started playing professionally (in 1977) in North Carolina, we played a variety of games. In fact, we had a rule, "If you could explain it, you could deal it" (I always liked that). When I moved to Las Vegas in January 1985, I played mostly middle limit　to reasonably high games　for the next 15 years or so　($50-$100 and $75-$150 limit games)　– and primarily in high-low split games – either eight-or-better stud or Omaha/8.

You are one of the survivors from the pre-poker boom days. Why do you think you have made it when so many others have fallen by the wayside?

Most top poker players don’t fail because of their poker. They fail because of "bad habits" or poor money management. If you have any leaks, such as playing in the pit, betting horses, betting sports, drinking excessively or doing drugs, you will have a tough time staying in money and I don’t care how good you are at poker.

How much poker are you playing these days?

I don’t have time to play a lot of poker these days. I still enjoy playing the big-time tournaments when I can and a few cash games when opportunity presents itself.

Do you play online at all?

Since PartyPoker left the U.S. a couple of years ago, I haven’t played any online poker. I still represent and consult for PartyGaming, so I don’t support other sites.

You made a lot of money from Party Poker, WPT, etc. Has being very financially secure affected your enjoyment of poker at all, or has it taken a little of your edge away because you are not as hungry?

It does make a difference when you’re "hungry" and climbing the ladder of success. But even players who have reached the top don’t stay there unless they remain hungry, continue to work on their game and have that incessant "will to win" (that every top player has). Having pride in your performance also constitutes a drive to continue playing your best – whether you have money or not.

How have your adjusted your play from the old-school days to today?

I’ve been fortunate to have seen nearly every hand played on the WPT for the first seven seasons and I see who is winning, and more importantly, why they are winning. I used to prescribe to the tournament theory that "tournament poker is all about survival." Well, I’ve changed my mind. Top players understand that the money and glory come in winning tournaments. The guys winning are not sitting back waiting for aces and kings and playing tight poker. They are taking chances early in an effort to accumulate chips so "if" they make the final table, they’ve got chips – along with a good shot to win. Chips are power in tournament poker and the great players understand that.

What lesson would you give new players?

I think the biggest mistake new players make is they play too many hands and call their money off too much. Successful poker is all about betting (not calling). Another mistake players make is playing higher than their bankroll will allow – which usually spells doom. And finally, new players must understand that playing winning poker takes time, effort, and experience. And like everything else in life, in poker, those who prepare to win do better than those who don’t.