Mike Matusow

Mike Matusow started playing poker seriously in the early 90s, initially while working as a poker dealer, and then as professional player. His earliest experiences of poker came at age 18, when he would play video poker compulsively in the Maxim Casino. Matusow played video poker so regularly that he suffered a repetitive strain injury in his shoulders and arms. During this time, he occasionally stole money from his mother's purse, and subsequently attended some Gamblers Anonymous meetings.

In 1997, Mike entered his first WSOP tournament and finished second to Scotty Nguyen. Then in 1999 Matusow won his first WSOP bracelet playing the $3,500 buy-in No Limit Hold'em tourney. He went on to finish 6th in the WSOP main event in 2001, and went on to win his second WSOP bracelet the following year in the £5,000 buy-in Omaha8/Better tourney.

Mike celebrated his success hard, and so much so that his personal and professional life hit a very rough patch. In 2004 he was sentenced to 6 months in jail on a drugs charge.

Mike Matusow has earned the nickname 'The Mouth' through his reputation for trash-talking at the tables. 'Mike Matusow blow-up' and 'Mike Matusow meltdown' have become somewhat popular terms, describing his terrible moments of misjudgement whereby he can ruin hours or even days of play in one fell swoop.