Mike Sexton became the 38th member of the Hall of Fame in a vote, where Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey and former Main Event poker champions Tom McEvoy, Scotty Nguyen and Dan Harrington also had the chance of getting the prestigious spot in the Hall of Fame. The induction was made official in a heartfelt and emotional ceremony in Las Vegas at the Rio Saturday night. Mike Sexton talked for 20 minutes in front of packed room during the dinner break at the WSOP Main Event final table. He said: "To you other eight guys that were on the ballot, a piece of my induction goes out to you because you were all a big part of me making it here. That's what makes my induction this year even special. The fact that I was voted in over such a great class of players who I feel will all be in the Hall of Fame someday." McEvoy, Doyle Brunson, Jack Binion and T.J. Cloutier opened the ceremony with some words that, if you did not knew about the friendly feelings among them, it could seem more like a roast than a Hall of Fame induction. WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack took the stage and described Sexton in just one word: "class." Mike was introduced by his older brother Tom. Tom made a touching introduction of Mike and his career and he explained why his brother was the man he was today and why he believed that he won his place in the Hall of Fame this year. Tom mentioned a saying that Las Vegas icon Steve Wynn has hanging in his office that says, "Vision is the art of seeing things invisible." Tom said: "Mike was able to see the invisible for poker's growth. TV and the Internet led us into the poker boom and Mike was our point guard for both." "Our mother passed away almost 30 years ago and it's a shame that she never got to see Mike on top of the poker world," he said as he choked up and the room went silent. "And our father died just a little over a year ago. He loved poker and he loved cheering Mike on during his career. I know that he's watching over us tonight with a big smile on his face." Mike thanked a lot of people after the ceremony and said: "Being a Hall of Famer allows me to stay among the greatest players in the game for the rest of my life," Sexton said. "But even when I'm gone, my son will be able to enjoy it. That makes me very proud."
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