Mike "Little Man" Sica; A Great Loss, A Greater Man

I honestly have never in my life been as upset at the news of a death as I was last night when I learned of Mike Sica's passing.  The information hit me so hard that I just kind of sat there in shock for a few minutes trying to get my mind around what I was taking in.  The feelings I have are so mixed that they are hard to articulate.  On the one hand I am obviously deeply saddened.  I am saddened for myself and for my peers in the poker community who were also close with Mike, and who are feeling the weight and depth of this loss as I am.  I am saddened for the family and friends of Mike outside of the poker world who have been left with a gaping hole in their lives that Mike once filled.  Most of all, I am saddened for this World at the loss of such a genuinely good man, who had so many amazingly rare and positive qualities; Qualities that are sorely lacking these days;

 Not only in the poker world, but in the world as a whole.  Anyone who knew Mike Sica in any close manner at all I think would agree; if more people were like the Little Man, this world would be a vastly better place to live.

Lets be honest here; It is pretty standard when someone passes away for there to be kind words spoken. The loss of someone usually evokes all of the best memories, the funniest and most endearing stories, and an emphasis and focus upon the best qualities about that person. Condolences and regrets are obviously expressed and there is a general sadness and feeling of loss attributed to a person leaving this world no matter how good of a person they truly were day in and day out.

The thing that made Mike Sica one of the best people I have ever known is the fact that everything being said and thought about him right now in the wake of his death are the exact same things that were constantly being said and thought about him during his time on this planet. Mike inspired people to love him through his everyday actions, his loving and selfless demeanor, and his enormous heart.  No one is stretching right now to find nice things to say about "The Little Man." The poker community is genuinely devastated to hear this news, as we should be. I can say with complete confidence that Mike was one of the finest examples of a human being that I will ever know.  I'm not saying it just because he is gone; I said it all the time while he was still here; and so did countless others.


I honestly don't know if I have ever met a happier more joyful human being in my life than Mike was.  He was always smiling, always laughing, always joking.  He had a way of lifting my spirits no matter what was going on in my life with just his mere presence.  I can't count the amount of times I have said "It is impossible to be in a bad mood around Mike"  nor can I count the amount of people who would always agree with that statement when it was made.  In a profession that is riddled with negativity, frustration, financial stress, shady people, incessant disappointment, and exhausting hours of fruitless labor, it is an almost impossible task to be cheerful and positive even 60% of the time.  Mike did it every day.  Upon entering the tournament room in the morning, he would stop at every table in the event center at Borgata, saying hello to everyone, smiling and joking.  He truly enjoyed every day that he lived, and he tried to spread his joy and love to everyone he came into contact with.  You could hear his laugh across the entire room, and you could see the smiles on the faces of the people who knew him when they heard it.  Every time I was at a table in my entire career and Mike walked by, he stopped to say hello to everyone.  He was never in a rush, never too important to stop and shoot the breeze.  He was the poster boy for "living in the moment" and "living life to the fullest."  Without fail when he would depart from the table a conversation would arise about him.

Some standard statements made were;

"Nicest guy ever."
"It's impossible to be angry around him."
"I've never seen him in a bad mood."
"One of the true class acts in poker."

The most common statement I heard or said about Mike in one of those behind the scenes conversations however was   "I love that guy."
How could you not?

I learned a-lot from Mike over the years.  We had some serious talks about some serious topics.  When he spoke I always listened, because selfishly, I wanted to learn what made him so happy.  He never did verbally explain to me what the key to that was, but through watching his behavior and the way he handled himself in his life, I'm pretty sure I figured it out.  Mike was the personification of love.  He cared about people; more than he cared about himself.  He was selfless and kind.  He didn't take himself too seriously. He had absolutely no ego.  He handled himself always with integrity and class.  He was a man of his word  He treated everyone as an equal, regardless of their ability on a poker table.  He gauged success in his life not based upon graphs or career earnings or career accomplishments, but upon his ability to brighten up his little corner of the world.   Mike understood that the most important thing in this lifetime was being the best man he could be, and leading others to find the best within themselves by setting that example every day.  Mike was the happiest man in the world because he loved himself and he loved the people around him fearlessly.  He had the biggest heart with a huge capacity for love and he used every single inch of it until his last breath.  And for that reason, his capacity to receive love was directly proportional.  He left this world I'm sure with very few regrets as to how he conducted himself and lived his life; and so if anyone has ever "rested in peace" it is Mike Sica.

 I regret not getting to say goodbye to Mike, or interact with him much after his diagnosis.  I regret the fact that I didn't go more out of my way to reach out to him while he was ill, as he reached out to me while I was going through the hardest times of my life.  I regret that I wasn't a better and more attentive and appreciative friend to him in what I'm sure was a very frightening and painful time of his life.  But most of all, I regret never getting a chance to tell him how much I really loved him and how thankful I am for having known him.  I'll take that opportunity now.

I think I can speak for the entire poker community when I say;

Thank you Mike Sica.  Thank you for warming our hearts every day.  Thank you for sharing your infectious laugh and beaming smile with us for all of these years.  Thank you for taking your time to ask us how we're doing and really care what the answer is.  Thank you for bringing such consistent positive energy and joy to an environment that often lacks both.  Thank you for showing us how to handle ourselves with class.  Thank you for showing us that there are more important things in life than accomplishments in poker.  Thank you for all of the toothpicks you've given me over the years.  Thank you for proving that we can go through anything with a smile on our faces, fearlessly and with no regrets.

Thank you for inspiring me through the way you lived your life to be a better man.  I have said it several times and I'll say it again now.  When I grow up, I want to be just like you.  We love you Mike, thank you for your contributions to our world. You will be missed.

In your own words, "God Bless Ya!!!"

<3