Remembering "Little Man"

Mike "Little Man" Sica

It's been a tough day for players here at Borgata as Mike Sica was laid to rest this morning. Over the last few days the outpouring of warmth and fondness for "Little Man" has been overwhelming.

Here are two more examples of how everyone is feeling.

Two time Borgata trophy holder and WSOP bracelet winner Ryan Eriquezzo wrote this heartfelt tribute, while Chris Short, aka ColonelPoker on the Borgata Blog, turned in the following thoughts.

The following is a look back at how Mike became known as "Little Man," and why so many people loved him.
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Two years ago while blogging at Borgata, I interviewed Mike Sica for a player profile.  The following comes from notes I jotted down during our chat:


Mike Sica retired in 1998 after 30 years of teaching elementary school physical education in Old Bridge, NJ.  He met his wife Terry-Ann in college and the two remained married for 48 years.  “I want to publicly thank my wife who is very supportive and allows me to play so much poker” explained Mike.

As the head of a tight knit family Mike loved talking about his daughter Michelle, son Michael, and grand kids Juliana and Tommy.  Mike’s father taught him to respect people no matter what.  “I get along with everyone…I don’t have the capacity to hate,” said Sica.

Words we all witnessed, Mike lived-out every day.  He really did get along with everyone.  So how did Mike Sica go from retired PE teacher to World Series of Poker bracelet champion?

It all started one day in 2004 when Mike was watching a re-broadcast of the 2003 Main Event on ESPN.  Not impressed, Mike instinctively knew he could outplay these guys.

On an impulse, he decided to put his money where his mouth was and take a shot at poker fame and fortune.  Two days after watching that broadcast he drove cross-country to play in the 2004 World Series of Poker at Binion's Horseshoe with no professional poker experience whatsoever.

In the very first tournament he entered, he made the top 23 out of 230, scoring a Main Event super satellite seat.  The next day, in the second tournament he entered, a Seniors Event, Mike finished in 10th place out of 519 players.

Then, on the third day of his adventure he jumped into a $3,000 NL event with 651 players.  Mike took it down, capturing a championship bracelet. As Mike remembered, “it was a miracle.  I won so many hands that I thought this game was easy.  Little did I know.”

In that tournament Mike secured more than just a bracelet, he also won the support of a mentor and true best friend in meeting Miami John Cernuto.  “I really value a friend like him,” said Sica.

After that series, Mike made the decision he was going to play Texas Hold-em for the rest of his life, and that’s what he did.  He played in all the East Coast Tournaments in addition to each year driving back to Vegas to spend a month in WSOP heaven.

 He refused to fly after three close calls with airplane mishaps. “I’m not the greatest player but can defend myself,” said Mike who has made countless friends across many generations of rounders.

The list includes Miami John, Bill Blanda, Doug Carly & wife Karen, Matt Brady, Gene Castro, Eric Seigel, and Will “The Thrill” Failla to name a few.

Mike also admits he likes to have fun when he plays and stays out of arguments.  Some of that fun came at the expense of James Boyle who lost a weight loss bet to Sica by 6/10 of a pound.  Mike shed 52 pounds in 5 months truly making him a “Little Man.” 

It became common to see Mike sucking on a toothpick at the table and dipping into his toothpick canister card protector.

In fact Mike went through 300 toothpicks a day.  “For 40 years I smoked 3 packs of cigarettes a day then my son Michael asked me to stop and I quit that same day,” said Mike. The toothpicks were merely an aid to keep Mike from ever starting up again.

As for alcohol, Mike only allowed himself to cut loose on the 9th and 24th of every month.  Go figure.  No real reason, just something he set up for himself and stuck to.

Borgata was always Mike’s favorite place to play.  He loved the staff and was a generous tipper.  If he out flopped you with the nuts it was common for Mike to laugh and shout out, “Trick or Treat” or “Pass the Parmesan.”

Throughout his life Mike got to play poker with Doyle Brunson, Louie Anderson, Toby Maguire, and Ben Affleck.

So how did Mike Sica earn the nickname “Little Man?"  Back in the day, Mike was a great pool player.  He played with some of the greats including professional pool legend Bill “Weenie Beanie” Staton.

One night Bill personally witnessed Mike never give up during a marathon pool session causing him to announce to the audience, “look at that Little Man with all that heart."

The name stuck, probably because once you played poker with Mike “Little Man” Sica, you'd agree that indeed he did have a lot of heart.

“I love everyone.  I hope you all live to be 100 and the last voice you hear will be mine.  God Bless You.”  Those were the last words Mike said during our interview.  And now we say, thank you Mike, we love you, and may God bless you.

- Chris Short (ColonelPoker)