While one of the multitude of Day 1s in the WPT500 was playing out in the Aria tournament area, some qualifiers were getting a different type of gamble below.
Mike Sexton’s new book, “Life’s a Gamble,” had its launch party at one of the Aria’s restaurants this Saturday night.
The booze was free, the hors d'oeuvres were fancy and the Royal Flush Girls were around for players to awkwardly take pictures with.
It was in a quartered-off portion of the restaurant, a tiny slice of the glory days where partypoker and other poker sites threw exorbitant parties the size of tiny villages.
Sexton’s book details that era of poker, and everything before it dating back to the start of the World Series of Poker. The book also details the era of Sexton, it’s an autobiography with an emphasis on gambling.
PokerListings caught up with Sexton at the launch to ask him a few questions about his new book.
PokerListings: What sets this book apart from other poker books?
Mike Sexton: My book is not a how-to book. That's the first thing. It's also a fun entertaining read and I believe all poker players, golfers, people who like action of any kind are going to thoroughly enjoy this book.
It's not just an autobiography about me, it's about the history of poker. There's also stories and chapters on the icons of poker and things that people might not know about them.
Stu Ungar, Chip Reese, Doyle Brunson, Puggy Pearson, Billy Baxter, all the real legends of the poker world. It's a fun read.
PL: Is there one poker memory that sticks out?
MS: For me, personally, the best poker memory is getting inducted into the poker hall of fame. It's the highest honor you can get as a poker player.
It's not about winning a tournament or having a good year, it's a career achievement award so, nothing will ever top that.
But I got a lifetime achievement award, I've won a bracelet at the WSOP I've won a million dollars in the World Series of Poker Tournament championship.
I've had a lot of highlights but number one will always be getting inducted into the hall of fame.
PL: A lot of your book is about the history of poker. Where do you see poker headed in the future?
MS: Obviously poker is going to be expanding globally. That's good. They want internet poker to come back now to the U.S., that's number one.
You know, hopefully, in the future, what I'd like to see happen in poker is the action clock.
I'd like it to take place in all cash games and all tournaments to speed up the game and make it better and more fun for everybody.
I love what partypoker is doing now too. Instead of qualifying people online for like day 1 of a tournament, they're qualifying you automatically to day 2, when you're playing for the money.
I think that combination is fantastic.
It allows so many more people to play, but now they can play at home. They don't have to spend a couple of days of expenses coming over here to play.
But now, they're in the money when they get here so it's fantastic. I think it's the future. They're doing a great job with it. They're bringing poker back to the people.
PL: So you've written an autobiography, you've been inducted into the hall of fame, what's next for you?
MS: What's next is that I'm starting Season 15 on the World Poker Tour that's what's next.
I'm excited about it, it's fun.
partypoker is doing good things these days. We're going to a big event in Punta Cana later in the fall. It's an exciting time coming up. I'm not retired, I'm not going anywhere for a year or two at least.
So I'm thrilled to be around and I just want to continue to see poker grow and elevate itself in the eyes of the public and to do good things for charity like they're doing.
So I'm proud to be involved with poker.
