Mack Lambert is lucky he’s alive and playing cards at all, much less today in the Season XVI WPT Choctaw Main Event.
Three years ago, Lambert underwent open-heart surgery. The procedure was extensive – one heart valve had to be replaced and two had to be repaired. There were also significant complications that led to follow-up surgeries. It was a stressful and painful time for Mack, his wife, Robin, and their family.
“When they opened my sternum, it shattered instead of breaking so they had to wire it back together,”Lambert said.
A month in a rehab facility followed. The process of losing so much control of one’s physical abilities was frustrating for a man who had been so active. He was a business owner and golfer, but those activities had to be put on hold.
And as he battled back, poker would play a role in his recovery.
Surgeries and Survival
After his initial operation, more surgeries followed. A wire broke inLambert’s sternum and had to be repaired, and other complications made other procedures necessary. It was life or death. The last time in the hospital, he contracted a staph infection. It was a constant struggle to overcome a process that had set him back so far.
“When I was in rehab, I couldn’t even dress myself,”Lambert said. “I had to have a nurse come in and help me get dressed. They had a physical therapist there and we did some things to start building me back. I remember there was a two-pound bar that I would try to lift, and that was difficult.”
It got worse. One day in 2015, Mack wasn’t feeling well and laid down to sleep at about 4 p.m. His wife, Robin, wanted to take him to the emergency room, but he said he’d feel better after a long night’s sleep.
In the morning, Mack was unresponsive. Robin couldn’t wake him up and called 9-1-1.
“They picked me up and it was two days after that before I remember anything,”Lambert said. “You really don’t appreciate good health until you’ve had something like that. I appreciate all the help I’ve had through this. It’s been an experience.”
If hadn’t been for his wife, Lambert would probably be dead. Fluid kept building on his lungs and had to be drained regularly or he wouldn’t be able to breathe. Robin was at his side helping him and keeping him going. In all, it took two years for him to recover and he bears the scars on his chest from the ordeal.
In the last year, things have been going better for Mack. He feels good, save for a little shortness of breath on a long walk. His improvement has also meant more time to play poker.Lambert has be a ClubWPT.com member since almost its inception, and he’s been playing poker since after college.
A seven-card stud player in the old days with family and friends, he moved on to Texas hold’em in the 2000s after Chris Moneymaker’s World Series of Poker victory.
He credits ClubWPT with keeping him sharp.
“I feel that the WPT was such a lifesaver for me because it keeps me active,” Lambert said.
Poker Relief
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Lambert’s family moved to the Dallas area while he was in high school. He then attended the University of Texas in Austin before leaving school in 1961 after finding success in the insurance business. He’s worked in the industry ever since, now heading his own company in the employee benefits field.
While he is technically semi-retired, Lambert is still working in the office at age 80 and has even stepped up his work schedule after the man who worked for him for the last 20 years underwent a liver transplant a year ago. It’s kind of a turnabout for the two men, as his friend stepped up his work when Lambert was in recovery. The stepped up work, however, doesn’t bother Mack – he loves the work and has no plans to stop any time soon.
“I’m only 80, why should I quit?” he said.
The two men have helped government entities, school districts, and corporations with employee benefits for the last 25 years. While his key employee recovers, he and Lambert do have a regular meeting each day, but at the online poker table and not the boardroom.
“I always try to get home about two o’clock so we can play the two o’clock tournament together,” Lambert said. “He’s at his house and I’m at mine, so it gives him some entertainment.”
Lambert still lives in Austin and is a big Longhorns football fan. He had season tickets through the years, but now has a houseful of friends and family over during the games to watch. Along with cheering on the Horns, Lambert also enjoys collecting autographed pictures of pro athletes and sports a golf flag from the Masters signed by Byron Nelson, Fred Couples, and Ben Crenshaw. At his home, Mack also has a koi pond to spend some time for relaxation.
At the poker table, Lambert is a regular in some smaller live tournaments and has won a decent amount of money through the years. He also plays in some cash games. Recently, Lambert’s been on a nice run, playing in six tournaments over a three-week period and cashing in three.
“I got to where I thought I should win every time,” Lambert said, laughing. “And then I had a little dry spell.”
ClubWPT Crusher
That dry spell didn’t include ClubWPT. On the site, Mack has won many cash prizes through the years, ranging from $5 to $150. It’s been a fun way to make a few bucks.
“For me, and I’m speaking for the over-65 group, it’s the least expensive entertainment you can buy,” Lambert said. “Back before I had open-heart surgery, I played golf. I found that after my surgery, and it took me about two years to recover, I didn’t have strength to go out and play well, the way I wanted to play. So I started playing poker instead and it’s been great.”
A month ago, Lambert battled it out in a qualifier for WPT Choctaw. There were 2,100 players battling for the top spot, and this 80-year-old rounder vanquished them all.
“The poker gods were with me,” Lambert said.
Lanbert took his seat in the field on Saturday and was still managing chips after the dinner break. A cash in the event would make this comeback from the brink even more special.
In October, Mack and Robin celebrate their 44th wedding anniversary. Their wedding was best the decision of his life, he said, and this family man and his wife have a great relationship. The Lamberts have one son, two daughters, and five grandchildren. His health is well, business is moving along nicely, and family close. After four decades, what’s been the secret to the couple’s success?
“After every discussion we have, I say ‘yes ma’am,’” he said, laughing. “I’m the boss – when she’s not home.”
No doubt they’ll be celebrating if Lambert can achieve a dream and reach the final table of WPT Choctaw.
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