| Ken Flaton | |
| Nickname: | Skyhawk |
| Residence: | Henderson, Nevada, U.S. |
| Birth Place: | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Henderson, Nevada, U.S. |
| Wsop Bracelet Count: | 1 |
| Wsop Money Finishes: | 39 |
| Wsop Main Event Best Finish Rank: | 18th |
| Wsop Main Event Best Finish Year: | 1997 |
| Wpt Titles: | None |
| Wpt Final Tables: | None |
| Wpt Money Finishes: | 2 |
Ken Flaton (June 28, 1940 – November 7, 2004) was an American professional poker player who was born in New York City, New York and settled in Henderson, Nevada after serving in the US Army.[1]
Flaton won a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet in 1983 in the $1,000 seven-card stud event.[2] He also finished in the money of the $10,000 no limit hold'em main event in 1986 (28th), 1988 (23rd), 1990 (31st), and 1997 (18th).[3]
Flaton won the first United States Poker Championship in 1996 and competed in the World Poker Tour (WPT).
Flaton died in November 2004 at St. Rose Dominican Hospital – Siena Campus, aged 64. He died of a heart attack, although he was suffering from lung cancer at the time, despite being a non-smoker.[4]
His total live tournament winnings were at least $2,575,000. His 39 cashes at the WSOP accounted for $568,525 of his lifetime winnings.[5]
Flaton got his nickname, "Skyhawk", when fellow professional Stu Ungar, after seeing Flaton spread his arms and then rake in the pot while in a poker tournament, commented that Flaton "swooped down on piles of chips like a 'skyhawk.'"