Mike Matusow
Mike Matusow, sporting
dark-brown cropped curly hair, glasses, and usually a
thick 5 o'clock shadow, mostly endures a love/hate
relationship with the poker community. His outspoken,
tell-it-like-it-is personality has earned him "The
Mouth" as a nickname. Despite lifetime tournament
winnings exceeding $3 million and 2 World Series of
Poker bracelets, Mike Matusow is probably best known for
being one of the "chattier" players at the table without
a fear for television censors or sanctioned penalties
for dropping the F-bomb at the WSOP. His strengths
include dominating the table with his aggressive and
fearless style as well as picking up reads on his
opponents.
Mike's family moved to Las
Vegas when he was 10, but his interest in gambling
didn't really begin until he was old enough to be talked
into visiting the casinos. His first experience with
video poker left him (self-admittedly) addicted,
although the inherent casino advantage in such house
games usually got the better of him.
Eventually, a friend of
Matusow's taught him how to play table poker in the
early '90s. He became successful in a short period of
time and would grind out his living at the low-limit
tables. Becoming tired with the work-like atmosphere of
long hours at the low-limits, he became a dealer at a
local casino in order to save up a large enough bankroll
to compete at the higher limits. While becoming
successful at the $30/60 level, Mike's winnings were
most often depleted over the weekend due to sports
betting. While his tournament and cash game winnings
usually keep him comfortable these days, Matusow often
has several open debts due to his side-game gambling.
Mike Matusow has a strong
record in poker tournaments, including WSOP wins in 1999
(No-Limit Hold'em) and 2002 (Omaha High/Low). "The
Mouth" also finished second in the 2004 World Poker Tour
UltimateBet.com Poker Classic for $250,000. He also made
final tables at both the 2001 and 2005 WSOP Main Event.
Perhaps most memorable was Mike's win at the 2005 WSOP
Tournament of Champions, an invitation-only event that
paid him $1,000,000 for the win following a brutal beat
that left him in 9th place in the Main Event. While
making many final tables, the "Mike Matusow blow-up" is
often held over his head for failing to close out
tournaments and blowing off his remaining chips.
In my opinion, Mike Matusow is a talented poker player
and one of the most entertaining to watch during
television coverage. Unfortunately, he also struggles to
deal with personal addictions and psychological
disorders. In 2004, he served a 6-month jail sentence on
a drug charge. He has both ADD and depression, often
affecting his poker game after long hours or if in
between medications. Most of his ribbings at the table
are in good humor and even if they aren't (as in the
case of Greg Raymer in the 2004 WSOP) he usually feels
embarrassed and apologizes for his behavior later. He
wears his emotions on his sleeve and isn't afraid to
show you how he feels. Plus, he picks on Sean Sheikhan -
one of the most annoying poker players on the circuit.
You can catch Mike Matusow on reruns of the WSOP, and he currently plays at
Full Tilt Poker.
Related pages:
Phil Ivey profile, the
Doyle Brunson Hand,
Poker Players and Sunglasses
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