Colombia Poker Tour
Beloved poker commentator and champion Mike Sexton, nicknamed the 'Ambassador of Poker' for his lifelong promotion of the game, has died at 72.
PokerStars, the largest online poker site for real money in the world, has announced its departure from the Latin American nation of Colombia effective Monday, July 17. This move follows the adoption, by the Colombian government, of measures to block gambling websites that haven't gone through the proper licensing proced. The PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour was a newcomer to Medellin last October during Season 4. The first-ever LAPT in Colombia, the Colombian National Poker Championship, drew the largest field ever assembled in 4+ seasons of the LAPT. Bogota was my first stop on a 2 week trip throughout Colombia and this tour was the perfect introduction with a good mix of interesting facts, history and fun stops (like the Chic. “ One of the best free tours I've ever done, Angie is supernice bogotana, finding perfect balance between giving us all the cultural and historic information. Observa los mejores momentos vividos durante el Colombia Poker Tour realizado en Masters Royale Casino - Cartagena la nueva casa del Poker en Colombia. Colombia Poker Tour is the largest and only legal poker live event in the country with a registered trademark and a team of its own. Currently, it is the only brand that has the authorization of Coljuegos for the realization of this type of tournaments in the country.
World Poker Tour and partypoker, an online poker company Sexton cofounded, confirmed his death. Fellow poker champ Linda Johnson said Sexton 'had been battling prostate cancer' that had spread to other organs shortly before his death.
Sexton had a hand in every aspect of poker -- broadcast, business and the game itself. Surviving poker greats say the game wouldn't be as successful as it is today without his influence.
Sexton was a longtime commentator for World Poker Tour, which hosts international televised tournaments, with broadcasting partner Vince Van Patten.
As a player, he won nearly $7 million since his debut in the 1980s. His competitors hardly winced when he'd take their chips because he was so widely liked, actress and poker player Jennifer Tilly tweeted after learning of his death.
After nearly 15 years of commentating for World Poker Tour, Sexton won his own World Poker Tour title in 2016. That victory was special for how long it took Sexton to achieve it -- something out of a movie, partypoker player Jaime Staples tweeted.
He wrote two books, founded a nonprofit for players to donate to veterans causes and Las Vegas communities, and created partypoker. Sexton coached Little League baseball and even skipped poker tournaments if they interfered with his baseball schedule. In 2008, he had a son, Ty, at age 61.
One year after his son's birth, he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. It was one of the highest honors he'd received in his career, he said, second only to the World Poker Tour's decision to rename its Champions Cup after him.
Colombia Poker Tour 2020
In a tribute blog, pro Phil Hellmuth said the game is indebted to Sexton.
Colombia Poker Tour 2019 Bogota
'Poker would not be as well regarded as it currently is without Mike Sexton,' Hellmuth wrote. 'Mike has been the consummate gentleman, and has championed poker better than anyone else.'
Colombia Poker Tour 2020
Upon learning of his death, many of Sexton's friends and fans have shared Sexton's famous sign-off: 'May all of your cards be live, and may all of your pots be monsters.'