Mike Sexton

Mike Sexton
Mike Sexton at the 2006 World Series of Poker
Nickname(s)	The Ambassador of Poker
Residence	Las Vegas, Nevada
Born	(1947-09-22) September 22, 1947 Shelby, Indiana
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s)	1
Final table(s)	23
Money finish(es)	59
Highest ITM Main Event finish	12th, 2000
World Poker Tour
Title(s)	1
Final table(s)	3
Money finish(es)	6

Michael Richard "Mike" Sexton^[1] (born September 22, 1947) is an American professional poker player and commentator. He is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.

Early years

Sexton was a gymnast and attended The Ohio State University where he earned a degree in public recreation after changing majors from business. He jokes that he majored in poker because he played very frequently in college. He also regularly played contract bridge and taught classes on it in North Carolina.

Sexton joined the U.S. Army as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division in 1970. The division, however, had just returned from Vietnam, so he never saw any action. While he was in the army, he taught ballroom dancing and one of his clients convinced him to try being a salesman, which he continued to do after his two-year enlistment was up. After a while, he realized that he could make more money playing poker than being a salesman, so he took up poker in 1977.

Although Sexton frequented tournaments, he was never able to make it to the World Series of Poker because he coached Little League baseball teams and the schedules overlapped. In 1985 he moved to Nevada to pursue poker full-time. Sexton was a well known cohort of poker player Stu Ungar. Upon Ungar's death, Sexton was a pallbearer and speaker at his funeral.

Poker player and promoter

As of 2010, Sexton has won several tournaments, including one World Series of Poker bracelet, and over $5,400,000 in total tournament winnings.^[2] He won his bracelet in the $1,500 Seven card stud split event at the 1989 World Series of Poker. His 46 cashes at the WSOP account for $910,792 of his total winnings.

However, Sexton is better known for his promotion of various poker events and services. He is the commentator of the World Poker Tour, alongside Vince Van Patten, and spokesman for PartyPoker.com, an online poker room. He has written for Card Player Magazine and the Gambling Times. He also founded the now defunct Tournament of Champions of Poker, which only let tournament winners from the previous year compete.

For all of his work promoting poker, Sexton is often known as the "ambassador of poker". Because of his affiliations, however, Sexton is unable to play in some poker events. Although the number of games he plays currently is less than before, he states that he doesn't mind so much, having played for so many years. Sexton did finish 10th in a preliminary event at the 2005 World Series of Poker and also in the final 16 of Poker Superstars II.

On February 15, 2006, Sexton was recognized as the top poker ambassador at the Card Player Magazine Player of the Year Awards Gala.

On June 27, 2006, Sexton won the third annual World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions event, and along with it the $1,000,000 first prize. In the final hand, his A♥ A♣ defeated Daniel Negreanu's Q♥ J♥ on a board of 10♦ 8♦ 4♠ A♦ 8♣. Sexton later donated half of his post-tax winnings to five charities, and has pledged to do the same with all future winnings.^[3]

Sexton was selected for the Poker Hall of Fame in 2009.

In early 2009, Sexton along with Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher and Lisa Tenner, created PokerGives.org, a nonprofit organization that offers poker players an easier way to give to charity.^[4]

In July 2012, Sexton finished in 9th place in the "Big One For One Drop" WSOP event, earning him $1,109,333, the biggest cash of his career.

World Series of Poker bracelets

Year	Event	Prize Money
1989	$1,500 Seven-Card Stud Split	$104,400

Bibliography

Shuffle Up and Deal: The Ultimate No Limit Texas Hold 'em Guide (2005) ISBN 0-06-076251-9
Life's a Gamble (2016) ISBN 978-1-909457-56-0 Published by D&B Poker

Notes

↑ books by Mike Sexton
↑ RankingHero tournament results
↑ Sexton, Mike (September 2006). Remembering Stuey 1953-1998. Poker Player Magazine.
↑ PokerGives makes donating easy for players, PokerListings.com

External links

Winners of the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions

Annie Duke Mike Matusow Mike Sexton Huck Seed

1980s WSOP bracelet winners

1980	Mickey Appleman Robert Bone Pat Callihan Deby Callihan Pete Christ Sarge Ferris Gene Fisher Jim Fugatti Lynn Harvey A.J. Myers Bobby Schwing Lakewood Louie Stu Ungar

1981	Ed Barmach Frank Cardone Fred David Sid Gamerman Ruth Godfrey Bruce Hershenson Juanda Matthews Johnny Moss A.J. Myers Mickey Perry Dody Roach Glen Rodgers Stu Ungar (2)

1982	Billy Baxter (2) Tom Cress Jim Doman June Field Nick Helm Dani Kelly Ralph Morton John Paquette Chip Reese Vera Richmond David Sklansky (2) Jack Straus Don Williams

1983	David Angel David Baxter Artie Cobb Donna Doman Jim Doman Ken Flaton Carolyn Gardner Buster Jackson Berry Johnston John Lukas Tom McEvoy (2) David Sklansky (2) Don Todd Stu Ungar

1984	Dick Albano Todd Baur William Bennett Norman Berliner Paul Fontaine Mike Hart Jack Keller (2) Sandy Stupak Bob Martinez Mike Schneiberg Dewey Tomko (2) Karen Wolfson

1985	Dick Carson Johnny Chan Tommy Fischer Rick Hamil John Lukas Mark Mitchell Rose Pifer Amarillo Slim Zorn Smiljanic Bill Smith Tony Thang Harry Thomas Don Williams Edwin Wyde

1986	Jim Allen David Baxter Mike Cox Hamid Dastmalchi Barbara Enright Tommy Fischer Ron Graham Jay Heimowitz Berry Johnston Sam Mastrogiannis Tom McEvoy J.B. Randall

1987	Bob Addison Billy Baxter T. J. Cloutier Johnny Chan Artie Cobb Jim Craig Hal Kant Ralph Merton Joe Petro Carl Rouss Linda Ryke-Drucker Hilbert Shirey

1988	Val Carpenter Johnny Chan Russ Gibe Gilbert Gross Thor Hansen David Helms Lance Hilt Loretta Huber Merrill Hunt Seymour Leibowitz Johnny Moss Don Williams

1989	Lyle Berman Barry Blackburn Thomas Chung Phil Hellmuth Frank Henderson Don Holt Mel Judah Norman Keyser John Laudon Harry Madoff Alma McClelland Mike Sexton George Allen Shaw Bob Stupak

note number in brackets represents the number of bracelets earned in that year

1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

Poker Hall of Fame

1979	Johnny Moss Nick Dandolos Corky McCorquodale Red Winn Sid Wyman Wild Bill Hickok Edmond Hoyle

1980s	Blondie Forbes Bill Boyd Tom Abdo Joe Bernstein Murph Harrold Red Hodges Henry Green Puggy Pearson Doyle Brunson Jack Straus Sarge Ferris

1990s	Benny Binion Chip Reese Amarillo Slim Jack Keller Little Man Popwell Roger Moore

2000s	Stu Ungar Lyle Berman Johnny Chan Bobby Baldwin Berry Johnston Jack Binion Crandell Addington T. J. Cloutier Billy Baxter Barbara Enright Phil Hellmuth Dewey Tomko Henry Orenstein Mike Sexton

2010s	Dan Harrington Erik Seidel Barry Greenstein Linda Johnson Eric Drache Sailor Roberts Tom McEvoy Scotty Nguyen Jack McClelland Daniel Negreanu Jennifer Harman John Juanda Todd Brunson Carlos Mortensen

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 54445096 LCCN: n2004151350 ISNI: 0000 0000 4950 4956 BNF: cb15113657k (data)

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