Mike Matusow is a professional poker player who is best known throughout the poker circuit for three things; his sensational talent for playing poker, his loud-mouth trash-talking at the tables - earning him the nickname “The Mouth” - and his uncanny ability to lose everything with a single bad decision. Matusow is so well known for this last attribute that it has been deemed the “Mike Matusow Meltdown”, or “Mike Matusow Blow-Up”.

Born April 30, 1968 in Los Angeles, California, Mike had a hard time in school, being favored by bullies throughout his education. Mike chose not to attend college, but rather to work as an auto mechanic. That fell through when Matusow failed to complete the required schooling. He ended up working at his father’s furniture store instead.

Mike Matusow did not start playing poker until the early 1990’s. His first experience with poker was at the age of 18, playing a Video Poker machine in Maxim Casino. Mike played so often that he actually suffered a repetitive strain injury in both his arms and shoulders. Mike has admitted to stealing money from his mother’s purse to continue playing Video Poker and, at one point, even attended Gamblers Anonymous meetings.

Perhaps it was luck, or even inevitability, that granted Mike a job as a poker dealer, having spent a considerable amount of time in the casinos already. Employed at Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mike began playing in poker tournaments with the help of an older player who would often stake him in the tournament. Matusow frequently won, or at least cashed in the tournament, but would immediately blow his winnings on sports betting or casino gambling. Even so, his friend would continue to stake him in poker tournaments.

Now that Mike Matusow has achieved both fame and fortune in the poker circuit, he claims he is always willing to help a poker player in need of a stake. Mike firmly attests that his professional career would not be what it is today without the help he received from his backer.

With two World Series of Poker (WSOP) Bracelets under his belt, more than 50 cashes and nine 1st place victories, Mike Matusow has played in poker tournaments all across the globe, earning him a grand total, as of 2007, very near the six million dollar mark ($5,939,921).

Mike Matusow and the WSOP
Mike Matusow’s major poker tournament career began with the 1997 World Series of Poker, where he finished in 2nd place at Event #8, Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, to pocket a purse of $81,700. Just two years later, Mike whittled his way through the field at Event #11, No-Limit Holdem, to earn his first WSOP Bracelet on May 6, 1999, along with a lucrative prize of $265,475. Three days later, Matusow cashed again as the 5th place winner of Event #15, Pot Limit Omaha, for $16,405.

Matusow cashed twice more in the 2000 WSOP, earning a little more than $16,500. Mike followed that up with a 6th place triumph in the 2001 WSOP World Championship Event #27, No Limit Holdem, for another high takedown of $239,765.

The 2002 WSOP saw Mike Matusow awarded his second WSOP Bracelet for a 1st place victory in Event #29, Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, worth $148,520 in cash.

The next year, Matusow took home 3 cashes worth nearly $74,000 combined in the 2003 WSOP. Mike repeated his 3-cash wins in the 2004 WSOP, earning just over $100,000. The 2005 WSOP revealed Mike Matusow’s highest single-cash winnings to date with a 9th place finish at the WSOP World Championship Main Event, worth $1,000,000 in cold hard cash. That same year, only 4 months later, Mike Matusow won yet another $1,000,000 for being the last man standing - er, sitting - at the WSOP Circuit Tournament of Champions.

In 2006, Mike went back to his typical average of 3 cashes, again earning near to $100,000. In 2007, you guessed it, Mike Matusow cashed in three events, finishing 11th in Event #19, 15th in #36 and 16th in #39, pocketing a total of $125,369.

Mike Matusow and the LA Poker Classic / WPT
Mike Matusow was playing successfully in the LA Poker Classic long before it was added to the World Poker Tour (WPT) Season 1 in 2003. Mike’s first LA Poker Classic cash prize came five years prior in 1998 with a mere $960 for finishing in 9th place in an Omaha Hi-Lo event. Ten days later, Mike finished 4th in the Limit Holdem competition for $4,620.

In 2001, Matusow worked his way into the 7th position in the LA Poker Classic Main Event, claiming a purse of $15,150. The 2002 LA Poker Classic saw Matusow taking another relatively small cash of $6,900 for a 4h place finish in Limit Omaha Hi-Lo.

As the February 2003 LA Poker Classic rolled around, it became an official stop on the World Poker Tour Season 1. Mike Matusow received a minimal cash for an 18th place finish in No Limit Holdem, earning $1,530. Two months later, Matusow racked up a 7th place cash of $5,856 in the Five-Star World Poker Classic Limit Omaha H-Lo event.

In it’s second season, Mike pocketed two cashes, including a 15th place finish at the Five-Star WPT Main Event, worth $83,165.

Season 3 of the WPT saw Mike Matusow earning his third largest WPT career cash of $250,000 for a 3rd place No Limit Holdem victory in the 2004 Aruba Poker Classic. Mike received 4 more cashes, but none at the final tables, over the 2006 and 2007 WPT.

Mike earned his largest WPT cash to date at the Bellagio Cup III, WPT No Limit Holdem Championship, after going heads-up at the final table with Kevin Saul to finish in 2nd place with a hefty reward of $671,320. Matusow’s second largest WPT prize came a few months later in September of 2007 at the Borgata Poker Open in WPT Season 6. Mike took 6th place in the No Limit Holdem Championship for a prize of $271,600.

Mike Matusow’s Other Achievements
On January 17, 2000, Mike Matusow triumphed over his opposition to claim his first major poker tournament win at the Carnival of Poker, taking a purse of $49,275 for his skilled efforts. In December of that same year, Mike claimed his second 1st place victory in a major poker event, earning $46,800 at the U.S. Poker Championship. In March of 2007, Matusow finished 9th at the NBC National Heads-Up Championship for $25,000.