Mike Matusow Bio

Mike Matusow, also known as The Mouth, was born April 30, 1968 in Los Angeles California. Today Mike is a professional poker player residing in Henderson, Nevada. His nickname originates from the fact that he has acquired a reputation for trash talking at the tables. He is equally well-known for destroying hours or even days of good play with a single spectacular misjudgment, (known as a "Mike Matusow Blow-up" or "Mike Matusow Meltdown"). In fact, he caught the attention of the mainstream poker world while on a featured table during the 2004 WSOP Main Event when he taunted the relatively unknown Greg Raymer. He quickly went from a very comfortable chip position to busting out of the tournament crying. Greg Raymer, obviously, went on to win the WSOP Main Event having the ultimate last laugh.

Even as a kid Matusow was always an avid competitor from shooting pool to building racecars to excelling at bowling. He was first introduced to the game at 18 years of age by way of video poker, which he played at the Maxim Casino. He played so often that he suffered from repetitive strain injury in his shoulders and arms. He learned Texas Hold’Em from Steve Samaroff in 1989, and proceeded to hone his skills at Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, also in Las Vegas.

Mike came bursting out of the gates at the WSOP when in his first year playing the event he finshed second in the Omaha 8/Better. Two years later Mike won the $3,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em. In 2001 Mike finished in six place at the WSOP Main Event. And the following year he won the $5,000 Omaha 8/Better WSOP tournament. He's been called one of the best Omaha players in the world.

As Mike became increasingly successful at the poker tables his personal life started taking a toll. In 2004 he was sentenced to six months in Clark County jail on cocaine related charges. He had befriended someone who turned out to be an undercover police officer and agreed to help him buy some coke. Mike took a long hard look at his lifestyle and rededicated himself to becoming the best poker player he could be once he was released from jail.

Only three months after his release from jail he made the final table of the WSOP Main Event and finished in ninth-place winning $1 million. He stunned many by also winning the WSOP Tournament of Champions and taking home another $1 million.

Despite lifetime tournament winnings of over $7.25 million rumors constantly circulate about whether or not Mike is financially solvent. In 2010 he infamously bet fellow poker player Ted Forrest $2 million that Ted could not slim down from 188 lbs to 140 lbs in only two months. Forrest did in fact drop the weight but Mike was quoted as saying that he coudln't afford to pay up. There was some controversy surrounding that quote with Matusow later claiming he was only joking but Forrest has kept mum on whether or not he every was paid. Some speculate that Matusow has worked out a payment plan with Forrest which is why Forrest has not been very clear on whether or not the bet was paid.