Poker Player - Mike "The Mouth" Matusow
Mike "The Mouth" Matusow lives in Las Vegas, and is a regular player at The Bellagio. He is well known on the poker circuit, and is lauded as being one of the best Omaha Poker players in the world. When he started out, it was as a dealer at The Orleans and the Sam's Town Casino. It wasn't long before he realised that he could earn more money and prestige from becoming a professional player instead of dealing and so he started to take part in the late night games of Omaha Hi-Lo held at Sam's Town. In 1999, he managed to win his very first gold bracelet in No Limit Hold'em. In 2002 he won not one, but two World Series of Poker bracelets for Omaha Hi-Lo. In 2005, he finished 9th in the main event of the World Series of Poker.
But that nickname, "The Mouth" is not there simply for show. Mike Matusow has one of the most expressive, some would say explosive personalities on the professional poker field. Mike is both well liked, as having an open and entertaining character (Chris Negreanu says that Mike is simply unable to rein in his emotions) but has also been criticised for being rude and badly behaved. There are many outrageous incidents that have been reported, including the game during the World Series of Poker 2004 against Greg Raymer. Losing his temper on The River, Mike leaped up and yelled "I have the biggest balls in No Limit Hold'em in the world!" a catchphrase which has been oft re-quoted.
Then again in the World Series of Poker 2005, a dealer accused Mike of throwing cards. The tournament director let him off with a warning when the other players at the table defended him, but his rage was not abated. He started to swear, using the F-Word. This prompted him to receive a ten-minute penalty from the director. Mike retaliated with a "F*** that!" leading to another ten minute penalty. "F***ing great!" he swore with a final "F*** you!" he walked away from the table to take his now 40 minute penalty with applause from the spectators ringing in his ears!
It's not just offensive language or bravado that earned him his nickname however. He is notoriously chatty and in the 2004 WSOP, he booked side action bets from others in the room, despite sitting at a $5000 buy -in Omaha table! The televised event focussed on him heavily, and in an interview that he gave, he explained that he used to live a fast and wayward life that he was now changing. Sadly though, he was sentenced to six months in Clark County Jail for buying drugs from an undercover cop in 2004 after the WSOP.
Despite famed emotional outbursts and "Matusow Meltdowns", a history of questionable legal behaviour and accusations that he is tarnishing the image of professional poker, Mike Matusow is unquestionably a player of real skill. He once said that "There's no skill in poker. Poker is a joke. Tournament poker is a joke. Whoever gets most lucky is the next superstar." But it took more than luck to win the 2005 World Series of Poker tournament of Champions, 2 WSOP bracelets, and to be rated 9th on the WSOP 2005 Money list. He has taken prize money from tournaments in excess of $3,404,329, an achievement that required more than a few good hands.
Perhaps it would be best to finish with Mike Matusow's own words: "I believe in my heart I'm one of the top five No Limit Hold'em players in the World. It's the only thing I do good. I'm an idiot when it comes to anything else."
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