Mike Sexton, host of the “World Poker Tour” and a 30-year poker pro, will be called as a gambling expert witness in the illegal gambling trial of five players busted during the police raid of a home tournament three years ago. Sexton, of Las Vegas, will contend that their chosen game of Texas Hold ’em relies more on skill to win than on illegal gambling chance, which is at the heart of the players’ defense. Sexton has a long resume in the poker world, helping to coordinate corporate endorsements and sponsorships behind broadcast poker tournaments. “The success of the World Poker Tour can largely be chalked up to his credit,” according to the Poker Listings Web site.
Also scheduled to testify is Robert Hannum, a statistics expert witness and professor at the University of Denver. Both men recently gave affidavits, filed this week at Mount Pleasant’s Municipal Court, defending the merits of Texas Hold ’em and the need for skill in mathematics, money management, bluffing, card play and reading an opponent to be successful.
Excerpted from Charleston.net.