When the poker community learned that WPT commentator and Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton passed away in September, many were shocked and saddened by the unfortunate news.
To honor him, his family then encouraged people to make memorial donations to his charitable group Poker Gives. To keep carrying on with that goodwill, an auction as a tribute for Mike Sexton will be set up, starting Sunday midnight and will run for a good two weeks.
The items up for auction, provided by his family, would be 80 various memorabilia once owned by Sexton, collected from all the years of his exciting life.
Mike Sexton Personal Collection - Charity Auction
- Duration: October 12 to 26, 2020
- *80 pieces from Sexton's private memorabilia collection up for auction
- *benefitting Poker Gives
Remembering Mike Sexton
Mike Sexton was one of the founders of Poker Gives - the proceeds from the auction will benefit said organization, as he would have liked. Poker Gives honors and supports military troops and their families, provides support for those less fortunate in Las Vegas and looks to get involved in programs which benefit the community.
Sexton's life was full of wonderful moments. Many remember him well for his constant promotion of the game, thus earning himself the moniker "Ambassador of Poker" both live and online.
He was most known in the poker world as the longtime voice of the World Poker Tour (WPT), serving as a TV commentator for a good 15 years, alongside fellow commentator Vince Van Patten. To those who watched at home, Sexton was their first man to learn an introduction to Hold'em from - he explained "The Cadillac of Poker" rules, a game that takes just "a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master." In every episode he would end it with, "May all your cards be live, and may all your pots be monsters."
A former Ohio State University gymnast, Sexton volunteered as a U.S. Army paratrooper assigned to Vietnam. He also taught ballroom dancing and contract bridge before he became a professional poker player in 1977. His neighbor Danny Robison was the one who first taught him the game during his childhood days.
He relinquished his commentating career in 2017 to take on a new role, as chairman of partypoker, an online poker site he had helped launch in 2001 prior to the poker boom.
Aside from being a poker ambassador and diligent promoter of the game, Sexton also had some substantial achievements as a poker player - he won a WSOP bracelet in a stud split event in 1989, and he won the 2006 Tournament of Champions for $1M, half of which he generously donated to charity.
In 2016, a few years into not being able to play in WPT events due to his commentating role, he won the WPT Playground Poker Fall Classic for $317,896, and his name was engraved on the WPT Champions Cup Trophy as a tour winner.
Just this July, the WPT renamed their trophy to honor him. He said, "I was most proud of being inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. I didn't think anything could ever top that, but in my mind, this does."
Mike Sexton Tribute Auction
The event has been posted on Facebook by Poker Gives, entitled Mike Sexton Tribute Auction and described below:
The Bigger-than-Life Mike Sexton was a fan of his fans. Everyone who knew him has been permanently marked with a fond memory. Mike's family wanted to share some of his personal things with his fans. The family graciously donated many of Mike's personal collection of photos and keepsakes to be auctioned off for his founding charity, Poker Gives.
From October 12th to the 26th, you can bid to own something special of Mike's. Each collection item comes with a special sticker to confirm it came from Mike's collection.
Feel free to bid on any and all of the first 80 items from Mike's personal collection in the auction. The last half of the listed items are on consignment to us. Your purchases support the programs Mike was passionate about; homelessness, youth, and military families. We hope you will see all of it as generous contributions to Poker Gives. Thank You!
You can begin bidding at Midnight on Sunday 10/11/20! Simply scan the QR Code on the banner image, or visit https://paybee.io/@pokergives
Thank you all for your generous support!
Source: https://www.pokernewsdaily.com/charitable-auction-of-mike-sexton-memorabilia-benefits-poker-gives-34007/
