This weekend the poker world lost The Ambassador, the venerable Mike Sexton. Sexton passed away at age 72 from prostate cancer.
Crowning a single person as the foremost at anything generally provokes debate. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in the poker community who would debate that Mike Sexton was the first person they wanted out front to represent the game.
Always immaculately dressed and debonair in public, Sexton lent an air of civility to a game that frequently lacks it. He possessed a rare combination: affable and extroverted yet inoffensive and humble.
Mike Sexton had plenty of cause for pride. Few, if any, individuals influenced poker in the various ways Sexton did. As a player, he boasted close to $7 million in tournament earnings, and mixed it up in big-time cash games as well. He stood at the forefront of the online poker movement, assisting with the development of PartyPoker. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2009.
However, Sexton’s job as a poker commentator brought him the greatest renown. So many of us enjoyed his role as the straight man alongside Vince Van Patten on the World Poker Tour. Sexton brought a dry sense of humor and stability to the broadcasts, and allowed viewers to settle in with someone they liked and trusted. He would call out players for behaving poorly to others, but did so calmly and without affectation. Although Sexton retired from his WPT duties in 2017 to chair PartyPoker, this summer the WPT named its Champions Cup for Sexton.
In Sexton’s autobiography, Life is a Gamble, the dimension of the man came through – not surprising Sexton’s life was much wider than poker. As a gymnast at Ohio State University, a paratrooper in the US Army, a ballroom dancer, and a salesman prior to his poker career, Sexton brought his life experience in his approach to the game. He pursued several charitable endeavors, including co-founding PokerGives.org, an organization that helps facilitate charitable giving among the poker community.
Most poignant in Life is a Gamble was Sexton’s personal humanity, particularly as it manifested in his relationship with the gifted, but troubled, Stu Ungar. Sexton was dazzled and respectful of Ungar’s ability, but clearly heartbroken when his and others’ efforts to help Ungar through his darkest moments proved unsuccessful.
Those of us at AdvancedPokerTraining.com want to lend our voice to all who say goodbye to Mike Sexton today. But, most of all, to thank him for bringing a sensibility to poker that too often evades many. Being a good man and treating others well can go hand-in-hand with being a serious and competitive poker professional. You’ll be missed, sir.
Like this post? Head on over to the sidebar and subscribe. We will let you know whenever a new APT blog post goes live!
Thanks Mike. Truly enjoyed your commentary for the world of poker!!!
PoisonIvy
A stirring tribute! Mike was the face that related poker to me.
Prokugels
Thank you Mike for all you did and for being the man so many respected. APT thank you for the article and the amazing training sites.
Ray
Mike Sexton, always honest, always the gentleman, always insightful. You will be missed. Thanks for the Heads Up.
Amazing tribute to poker’s greatest ambassador.
Everyone should see WPT’s tribute video. Search “The World Poker Tour Pays Tribute to Mike Sexton” on YouTube.
Also, poker greats gathered on video conference to pay tribute a few days before Sexton’s passing, as Sexton watched live. Search “The Mouthpiece Episode 48 – Mike Sexton Tribute”.
R.I.P. Mike Sexton. You will be truly missed.
“May all your cards be live, and your pots be monsters!”
– Mike Sexton
I will always cherish my pic with mike. He was a class act.
Mike Sexton brought a sense of class and civility to the Poker World. He will be missed.
I truly enjoyed Mike Sexton’s play by play description of poker. Although I never met him I am deeply saddened by his way too early departure. He seemed like a great guy. Rest in peace Mike. Our loss is Heaven’s gain.
very nice….summed it up graciously……just like Mike
Last week I was wondering what happens to Mike Sexton because I have not seen him on youtube for awhile so I googled it and saw the sad news… We sure lost a great personality here on earth but I know he will start a Universal Poker Tour up there for sure… Thanks for providing all those wonderful poker entertainments for us all these years!!!
Mike Sexton I salute you .
Mike Sexton was for Poker what John madden was for football, what Tim McCarver for baseball what Hubie Brown was for basketball…you listened, you learned…
Mike was a fine fellow indeed! Doc Earle from Newfoundland worked with Mike to try and get Ungar off the drugs! Ever time i’d see him in Montreal at Playground Poker he would always as How Doc Earle was doing! He always wanted to come to Newfoundland to see his friend the Doc who is now retired and living in Newfoundland. He had a very busy schedule and could never find the time! The Last time I saw him was at Playground and I gave him a drive downtown Montreal to his hotel. He asked me to wait a few minutes and he went to his room any brought back a copy of his Book “Life’s a Gamble”. a great read! RIP mike you were one of a Kind! Bern H.