Santa Rosa seminar with Sexton & more

By Raymond T. Akers

Three of the top poker instructors in the country are coming to Santa Rosa on May 8 to hold a seminar, creating a great opportunity for Northern California players to learn from some of the best.

Mike Sexton, Linda Johnson, and Jan Fisher are well-known, established pros who have held numerous such seminars throughout the country and are also top staff members for the popular WPT Boot Camps. They are also the founders of Poker Gives as a way to give back to worthwhile charity organizations (go to pokergives.org for more information).

This seminar is designed to make you a better poker player, whether you are fairly new to the game or a seasoned veteran. It will focus primarily on tournament poker, but cash game strategy will also be covered.

Mike Sexton has been a poker professional for over 30 years and is best known as a commentator for the World Poker Tour (now in its eighth yar). He has $3.8 million in tournament winnings, which includes one World Series of Poker bracelet (1989 for $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Split) and a victory in the third annual WSOP Tournament of Champions in 2006.

Sexton was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2009, where he was introduced by Doyle Brunson. He received a standing ovation from the poker players and celebrities in attendance.

One of Sexton’s favorite quotes is: “Winners bet, losers call.” In poker, he says, if you want to be successful, you need to be a bettor, not a caller.

In Hold’em, the most common mistake amateurs make is to lose a lot of money on A-J, A-10, or A-rag after someone has raised preflop and an ace hits on the flop. Sexton will discuss how to play these hands at the seminar, as well as many other things that can help improve your success at the poker table.

The seminar will focus on both general and specific things that will help you become a consistent winner, including making correct decisions, thinking like a poker pro, how to improve on the things that make a player successful, betting, how to play hands in different positions, numerous tournament tips, plus the primary differences between tournaments and cash games.

They will also tell a number of poker stories that will entertain you (ask Mike about his home game with Ben Affleck) as well as enhance your poker game. They will, of course, answer all your questions and be available for autographs and pictures.