Mike Sexton Relives Poker Hall of Fame Induction

It was a great honor for me to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.  It really is the ultimate career achievement award.  To know that you’ll always be linked to the legends of poker – guys like Chip Reese, Stu Ungar, Doyle Brunson, Puggy Pearson, Johnny Moss, and Jack Binion – is an awesome feeling.

Several things made my induction into the Poker Hall of Fame extra special.  The first is that this year, for the first time, a process was used to determine who would get in.  This included being nominated by the fans and then being voted in by the media and living members of the Poker Hall of Fame.  It also makes me the answer to the trivia question, “Who is the first player to ever get inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame through a voting process?”  The most meaningful part to me was to be welcomed into this exclusive club by the Hall of Famers themselves.

Another thing that made my induction so special were the 2009 nominees I was up against, literally a “who’s who” of the poker world.  Their poker accomplishments are amazing.  The other nominees were Barry Greenstein, Erik Seidel, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Tom McEvoy, Dan Harrinton, Scotty Nguyen, and Men “The Master” Nguyen.  I truly believe that most, if not all, of these guys will be joining me in the Poker Hall of Fame one day – and deservedly so.

The induction dinner was held at the Rio during the dinner break of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table on November 7th.  It was a first-class, two-hour affair that was put on by Harrah’s and the WSOP and was sponsored by JAQK Cellars.  A special thanks to all of those people.  For all of us that attended, it was an evening to remember.  I believe the process of getting elected and the Poker Hall of Fame dinner add a lot of prestige.  I hope the induction dinner becomes an annual event.

I provided a slide show during dinner that featured my family (especially my one year-old son, Ty), numerous Hall of Fame poker players, and me.  The World Poker Tour (WPT) was kind enough to provide some entertaining footage of Vince Van Patten and me as well as some clips of Doyle Brunson and the 2009 nominees when they won on the WPT.  My brother Tom had some collages of me as well as some terrific pictures that were put on display.  All of these things added a great deal to the event.

The speakers must have thought this was a Mike Sexton roast, but I must admit that they were quite entertaining.  They included Doyle Brunson, Jack Binion, T.J. Cloutier, and Tom McEvoy.  Jeffrey Pollack then gave a very warm welcome speech and my brother Tom was the person I chose to introduce me. He was terrific, as I knew he would be.  Thanks to everyone for their participation.

No one gets to the top of any profession without drive, dedication, being in the right place at the right time, help from some key people, and the love of family.  All of those things certainly apply to me.  I spoke, wove my way through my career, and thanked those who were extremely helpful to me along the way.  They included Linda Johnson (who hired me to write for Card Player), Doyle Brunson (who hosted my Tournament of Champions and has been a longtime friend), Ruth Parasol (who hired me for PartyPoker), and Steve Lipscomb (founder of the WPT).

I was recently asked by a reporter, “What’s the neatest thing about being inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame?”  I said, “The neatest thing about getting inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame is when I think about my son and when he gets to Junior High and High School.  The other kids will say, “Wow!  Ty’s old man is in the Poker Hall of Fame.’  That’s really cool!”  And it is.

Being inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame is an honor I’ll cherish forever.