Mike Matusow: More Than a Mouthful in cardplayer

[Justin Smith]

It is hard to believe everything written in this This
article..........If it is this man needs help

[magithighs]

Not sure why, but I like matasow. Perhaps it's my fascination with tragic figures. I picked him to make the final table at this year's WSOP (one of my three famous player picks).

I was in the crowd watching when Matasow made it through the 2'nd last day and into the final day. On my way out I'm walking with Eric Siedel and John Juanda (they don't know me) and I mentioned I picked Matasow to make the final table. The look they both gave me was precious. It was an "are you f'ng crazy look", so they obviously have an inside look into this guy which I don't. But I still root for him.

Cheers
Magi

[midas]

Great article - This guy is the poster child for degenerate gamblers. ESPN would never do a back-story piece like this on Mike for their broadcast - too depressing and the appeal of a poker player's life would be shattered.

Don't be surprised if Mike eats a bullet in the next 5 years.

[Cooker]

[ QUOTE ]

Don't be surprised if Mike eats a bullet in the next 5 years.

[/ QUOTE ]

I still reserve the right to be surprised.

[fnord_too]

I looked at the article list and saw none I wanted to read. I read that one because of this thread. Wow. That interview is surprisingly revealing and reinforces a lot of what I see the few times I get to play live.

Great post. I lost it when I read the prison story and his friendship...buddies on inside not on the outside...entertaining stuff.

Do you think this guy was drunk or high/low when he did this? He seems awfully candid.

[onegymrat]

The article was fascinating until I realized that it wasn't fiction, then I put the magazine down. Boxtree and I saw Matusow late last night at Commerce. We were eyeballing a NL game and he walks up to take a peek. Some young player with an accent hollers, "Hey, Mike Matusow, sit here at this table!" Mike glances at the chips at the table and says, "I don't play that cheap." Then the young player whips out a laptop and offers Mike to play online. Mike looked excited and then they huddle together at the screen.

Matsutow looked like he either woke up from a 24 hour nap, or he hads been homeless for a month. He looked a real mess. His too small old sports jersey that he wore didn't cover his too big gut that pertruded out. I could have never pictured this guy to be a winning player.

[bernie]

I don't know. In reading this, I don't see 'degenerate' or 'addicted' as past tense for him the way he mentions it.

He is fun to watch and read about though.

b

I don't understand the apparent contradiction that he does not value money yet is addicted to sports betting. I would have guessed that the excitement from high stakes sports betting would be on the money that was on the line. But, if money has no value to him, what's the rush. Or, why couldn't be bet fake money (or lower stakes) and get the same rush?

[4thstreetpete]

great article. Matusow is nuts.

I do however agree with his statement "Online poker players are the worst poker players in the history of mankind."