LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- The Poker Hall of Fame is inducting one new member in 2009, and what a one he is.
Mike "The Ambassador of Poker" Sexton becomes the 38th member of the Poker Hall of Fame, becoming the only member of the nine finalists this year to garner induction. The remaining eight candidates, who were under consideration this year, remain eligible for future consideration.
Sexton has amassed more than $3.7 million in career poker winnings spanning his nearly 30-year career, and has become one of the most recognizable figures in the poker game as the main analyst for the WPT's television coverage. In addition, Sexton serves as a consultant and host to one of online gaming's longest-running and most successful sites, Party Poker. The 62-year-old "Ambassador of Poker" is also one of the most generous givers in the game today.
After winning the 2006 WSOP Tournament of Champions, he donated half of his $1 million prize to different charitable organizations. Earlier this year, he formed Poker Gives, an organization that provides the poker community a better avenue to give back to worthy charitable causes.
A true gentleman who has constantly enhanced the game of poker both with his play at the tables and his promotion of the game off of it, Sexton is a noted author, columnist, broadcaster, philanthropist and businessman. Sexton won a WSOP gold bracelet in a Seven Card Stud event in 1989; was the WSOP Tournament of Champions champion in 2006; and ranks 11th all-time with 47 WSOP cashes. Amazingly, Sexton reached the final table in 20 of the 47 WSOP events he has cashed in. He cashed in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, and at the 2008 WSOP finished 4th in the World Championship Pot-Limit Hold'em event, earning $248,160.
Sexton will be inducted officially on Saturday, November 7 at the Rio All-Suites® Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas during the finale of the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event championship.
The Poker Hall of Fame, established in 1979, was acquired by Harrah's Entertainment along with the World Series of Poker in 2004. Though the Hall of Fame is virtual in nature, its membership includes poker's most influential players and other important contributors to the game. There are 17 living members.
The main criteria for the Poker Hall of Fame is 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.
The entire list of 38 Poker Hall of Fame members includes (alphabetical with year of induction in parenthesis):
o Tom Abdo (1982)
o Crandell Addington (2005)
o Bobby Baldwin (2003)
o Billy Baxter (2006)
o Lyle Berman (2002)
o Joe Bernstein (1983)
o Benny Binion (1990)
o Jack Binion (2005)
o Bill Boyd (1981)
o Doyle Brunson (1988)
o Johnny Chan (2002)
o T.J. Cloutier (2006)
o Nick "The Greek" Dandolos (1979)
o Barbara Enright (2007)
o Fred "Sarge" Ferris (1989)
o T "Blondie" Forbes (1980)
o Henry Green (1986)
o Murph Harrold (1984)
o Phil "Poker Brat" Hellmuth (2007)
o James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok (1979)
o Red Hodges (1985)
o Edmond Hoyle (1979)
o Berry Johnston (2004)
o Jack Keller (1993)
o Felton "Corky" McCorquodale (1979)
o Roger Moore (1997)
o Johnny Moss (1979)
o Henry Orenstein (2008)
o Walter Clyde "Puggy" Pearson (1987)
o Julius Oral "Little Man" Popwell (1996)
o Thomas Austin "Amarillo Slim" Preston (1992)
o David "Chip" Reese (1991)
o Mike Sexton (2009)
o Jack "Treetop" Straus (1988)
o Duane "Dewey" Tomko (2008)
o Stu "The Kid" Ungar (2001)
o Red Winn (1979)
o Sid Wyman (1979)
For more information on the Poker Hall of Fame, visit World Series of Poker Presented by Jack Link's Beef Jerky - Official Tournament Coverage and Results
Source
Mike "The Ambassador of Poker" Sexton becomes the 38th member of the Poker Hall of Fame, becoming the only member of the nine finalists this year to garner induction. The remaining eight candidates, who were under consideration this year, remain eligible for future consideration.
Sexton has amassed more than $3.7 million in career poker winnings spanning his nearly 30-year career, and has become one of the most recognizable figures in the poker game as the main analyst for the WPT's television coverage. In addition, Sexton serves as a consultant and host to one of online gaming's longest-running and most successful sites, Party Poker. The 62-year-old "Ambassador of Poker" is also one of the most generous givers in the game today.
After winning the 2006 WSOP Tournament of Champions, he donated half of his $1 million prize to different charitable organizations. Earlier this year, he formed Poker Gives, an organization that provides the poker community a better avenue to give back to worthy charitable causes.
A true gentleman who has constantly enhanced the game of poker both with his play at the tables and his promotion of the game off of it, Sexton is a noted author, columnist, broadcaster, philanthropist and businessman. Sexton won a WSOP gold bracelet in a Seven Card Stud event in 1989; was the WSOP Tournament of Champions champion in 2006; and ranks 11th all-time with 47 WSOP cashes. Amazingly, Sexton reached the final table in 20 of the 47 WSOP events he has cashed in. He cashed in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, and at the 2008 WSOP finished 4th in the World Championship Pot-Limit Hold'em event, earning $248,160.
Sexton will be inducted officially on Saturday, November 7 at the Rio All-Suites® Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas during the finale of the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event championship.
The Poker Hall of Fame, established in 1979, was acquired by Harrah's Entertainment along with the World Series of Poker in 2004. Though the Hall of Fame is virtual in nature, its membership includes poker's most influential players and other important contributors to the game. There are 17 living members.
The main criteria for the Poker Hall of Fame is 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.
The entire list of 38 Poker Hall of Fame members includes (alphabetical with year of induction in parenthesis):
o Tom Abdo (1982)
o Crandell Addington (2005)
o Bobby Baldwin (2003)
o Billy Baxter (2006)
o Lyle Berman (2002)
o Joe Bernstein (1983)
o Benny Binion (1990)
o Jack Binion (2005)
o Bill Boyd (1981)
o Doyle Brunson (1988)
o Johnny Chan (2002)
o T.J. Cloutier (2006)
o Nick "The Greek" Dandolos (1979)
o Barbara Enright (2007)
o Fred "Sarge" Ferris (1989)
o T "Blondie" Forbes (1980)
o Henry Green (1986)
o Murph Harrold (1984)
o Phil "Poker Brat" Hellmuth (2007)
o James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok (1979)
o Red Hodges (1985)
o Edmond Hoyle (1979)
o Berry Johnston (2004)
o Jack Keller (1993)
o Felton "Corky" McCorquodale (1979)
o Roger Moore (1997)
o Johnny Moss (1979)
o Henry Orenstein (2008)
o Walter Clyde "Puggy" Pearson (1987)
o Julius Oral "Little Man" Popwell (1996)
o Thomas Austin "Amarillo Slim" Preston (1992)
o David "Chip" Reese (1991)
o Mike Sexton (2009)
o Jack "Treetop" Straus (1988)
o Duane "Dewey" Tomko (2008)
o Stu "The Kid" Ungar (2001)
o Red Winn (1979)
o Sid Wyman (1979)
For more information on the Poker Hall of Fame, visit World Series of Poker Presented by Jack Link's Beef Jerky - Official Tournament Coverage and Results
Source