About Mike
Born in Los Angeles, California in April, 1968, Mike Matusow didn't take long to
develop one of his most defining characteristics -
Even as a kid growing up, Mike was never afraid of voicing his opinions, even if it meant standing up to the biggest and toughest kids in the neighborhood. He might come home battered and bruised sometimes, but never defeated.
Growing up, Mike pursued a number of interests, and competition was always a common theme. Whether it was working on building race cars, shooting pool, or bowling, where he often rolled games of 290 or more, and once threw a perfect 300, Mike craved the competition.
In the early 1990s, Mike discovered a new arena in which to compete -
Encouraged, Mike quickly became a regular in these small tournaments, winning often enough to boost both his bankroll and his confidence. With some money behind him, Mike decided to move up the ladder. He began playing in cash games around town, specializing in Omaha 8/Better, where he quickly excelled. Even to this day, Mike is widely considered to be one of the best Omaha 8/Better players in the world.
In 1997, Mike entered his first World Series of Poker tournament playing Omaha 8/Better,
and finished second to Scotty Nyguen. Two years later, Mike won his first WSOP bracelet
playing the $3,500 buy-
With success came access to the Las Vegas high life, and Mike didn't shy away from a good time. The partying and hard living took a toll on Mike, however, and led to the toughest period in his personal and professional life when, in late 2004, he was sentenced to six months in the Clark County jail on a drug charge.
Separated from his friends and family, Mike vowed to play the best poker of his life
upon his release. In July 2005, just three months after his release, Mike proved
true to his word, becoming the second person to ever reach the WSOP Main Event final
table twice in a starting field of 600 or more players and winning $1 Million for
his ninth-
Inspired by his performance, and wanting to prove that there's more to his game than
just his mouth, Mike scored the biggest victory of his career a few months later
when he out-
Never one to rest on his laurels, Mike is continually working on his game and remains
one of the most successful -
Mike is considered to be the best Omaha poker player in the world.
Mike honed his
skills at Sam's Town Poker Room in Vegas.
About Mike
