Nationality
American
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Born (date and place of birth)
April 30, 1968 in Los Angeles, California, USA
Residence (current location)
Henderson, Nevada, USA
Year started playing poker
Around 1986 (started gambling at 18, learned real poker around 1989)
Age when started playing
Started gambling seriously at 18, learned poker in depth around age 21
Year turned professional
Early 1990s (became professional after learning poker from Steve Samaroff in 1989)
First major win (amount, tournament, year)
1999 WSOP $3,500 No Limit Hold'em event, won $265,475
Who introduced to poker / first mentor
Steve Samaroff, who taught him the advanced aspects of poker in 1989
First important tournament
Entered WSOP events in the late 1990s, including partial stake in Scotty Nguyen's 1998 Main Event satellite
Main motivation for turning pro
Transitioned to professional poker motivated by talent, mentorship, and early successes in tournaments
Initial bankroll
Partially funded buy-in for Scotty Nguyen's 1998 WSOP Main Event satellite (paid one-third of entry)
Poker education (courses, coaches)
Mentorship by Steve Samaroff; extensive self-study and experience in live cash and tournament play
First sponsor/backing
Team Full Tilt Poker (sponsored pro during poker boom era)
Total live tournament winnings
Over $10,243,000 in live tournament earnings (as of mid-2025)
Number of tournament wins
12 recorded live tournament wins
Number of final tables
Over 185 final table appearances
Largest tournament win (amount, tournament, year)
$1,000,000 - 2005 WSOP Tournament of Champions
WSOP bracelets (number)
4 bracelets (1999, 2002, 2008, 2013)
WSOP cashes (number)
At least 32 WSOP cashes
WSOP final tables
Around 13 final tables
Best WSOP Main Event result
6th place in 2001 WSOP Main Event; 9th place in 2005 WSOP Main Event
Online tournament winnings
Significant online play earnings on Full Tilt Poker (exact figures undisclosed)
Poker team
Former member of Team Full Tilt Poker
Main cash game limits
Played high stakes cash games regularly; exact stakes vary but known for big-game participation
Highest stakes played
Participated in some of the highest stakes cash and high roller events during poker boom era
Notable high stakes sessions
Featured regularly on High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark cash games
"Big Game" participation
Regular participant in "Big Game" high stakes cash sessions televised on High Stakes Poker
Estimated cash game profits (if known)
Estimated millions in cash game profits during peak years, exact figures not public
Country ranking
One of the top-ranked American live tournament players historically
All Time Money List position
Top 100 All Time Money List with career earnings over $10 million
Main discipline (Hold'em, Omaha, Mixed games)
No-Limit Hold'em with skills in mixed games including Omaha Hi-Lo and Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo
Format specialization (tournaments/cash/online/live)
Primarily live tournaments and cash games; also online during Full Tilt era
Preferred table size (6-max, full ring, heads-up)
Comfortable in full ring and 6-max tournament formats
Known formats (NLHE, PLO, HORSE, others)
NLHE, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo, No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw
Specialization limits
Varied, including high roller buy-ins and WSOP event limits ranging from $1,500 to $50,000
Online rooms where plays
Formerly Full Tilt Poker
Favorite casinos/locations
Bellagio, Wynn, Aria, Rio, and other Las Vegas venues
Style characterization (TAG, LAG, nitty, aggressive)
Aggressive, outspoken, volatile with a reputation for emotional outbursts ("Matusow Meltdowns")
Known for bluffs/traps
Known for bluffing and table talk to unnerve opponents, but also known for critical misreads and emotional flair
Mathematical or intuitive approach
Combines intuition and experience; adjusts between math-based strategy and live reads
Style adaptability
Skilled at adapting style to tournament situation and opponents though prone to emotional variance
Playing strengths
Reading opponents, mixed game proficiency, heads-up play, high-stakes experience
GTO strategy usage
Adapted over time with evolving game theory but originally more intuitive and exploitative style
Poker software usage
Likely uses modern poker training software, especially post-2010 era, but specific tools not confirmed
Television appearances (list of shows with specific episodes/dates)
Regular on High Stakes Poker, Poker After Dark; featured in ESPN WSOP broadcasts
High Stakes Poker participation (seasons/episodes)
Featured multiple seasons on High Stakes Poker
Poker After Dark appearances (episodes/dates)
Multiple episodes of Poker After Dark, including wins
Documentary films featuring (titles and links)
Featured in 2024 documentary on his career and personal struggles available on YouTube
Major publication interviews (publication names, article titles, links)
Featured in PokerNews, CardPlayer, PokerListings, and other major poker media interviews
Podcast appearances (podcast names, episode titles, dates, links)
Guest on major poker podcasts; host of his own podcast "The Mouthpiece with Mike Matusow"
Own podcast/channel (name, platform, subscriber count, link)
"The Mouthpiece with Mike Matusow" available on Podbean, Spotify, iTunes
YouTube channel (name, subscriber count, link)
Channel "MikeTheMouth" with poker content, biographies, and interviews
Posting frequency in social media
Regular posting activity on Twitter and Instagram, engaging poker community and fans
Type of content in social media
Content includes poker commentary, personal updates, poker stories, and promotional material for his podcast
Current sponsors (company names, deal details if public)
Formerly sponsored by Full Tilt Poker; no current known sponsorship deals
Sponsorship contract history (previous sponsors, dates)
Full Tilt Poker from mid-2000s until Black Friday 2011
Poker site ambassadorship (site names, contract details)
Full Tilt Poker ambassador until 2011
Own business (business names, descriptions, websites)
Produces poker podcast and engages in personal branding; no large scale business ventures documented
Coaching services (availability, platforms used)
Offers poker coaching and mentorship services informally through podcasts and personal engagement
Educational materials (book titles with ISBN, course names with platforms, video series titles with links)
Author of autobiography "Check-Raising the Devil" (2009)
Merchandise (product types, where sold, links)
Promotional merchandise connected to podcast and poker brand available sporadically
Written poker books (titles, publication years, ISBN, publisher)
"Check-Raising the Devil" (2009), ISBN 978-1580422100, Cardoza Publishing
YouTube educational content (video titles, view counts, links)
Educational videos and hand analyses available on his YouTube channel
Poker publication articles (publication names, article titles, publication dates, links)
Contributed poker articles and featured in numerous poker magazines and online publications
Conference speaking (conference names, dates, topics, video links)
Participated in poker-related conferences and speaking events
Poker scandal involvement (scandal names, details, outcomes)
Served six months in prison (2004-2005) related to drug charges; publicly discussed personal struggles
Casino/room conflicts (venue names, incident details)
Known for heated moments at tables but no major publicized conflicts recorded
Legal proceedings (case details, outcomes, court documents)
2004 drug-related conviction resulting in 6 months incarceration
Public disputes with colleagues (names involved, details)
Several verbal disputes with other poker pros, notably at televised events
Poker community criticism (specific criticisms, responses)
Criticized for emotional outbursts and "Matusow Meltdowns" in critical tournament moments
Response to criticism (statements, actions taken)
Acknowledged personal vulnerabilities and worked on improving emotional control
Poker industry awards (award names, years, organizations)
Nominations for Poker Hall of Fame; multiple poker accolades for performance
Hall of Fame inclusion (hall names, induction years)
Finalist multiple times for the Poker Hall of Fame, including 2023 nomination
Peer recognition (specific recognitions, award details)
Respected by peers as a tough competitor and vibrant poker personality
Special achievements (achievement descriptions, recognition details)
First player to win two separate $1,000,000 WSOP prizes in the same year (2005)
Contribution to poker development (specific contributions, recognition)
Popularized colorful table talk; contributed to poker media and education
Legacy in poker world (specific legacy aspects, community impact)
Known as one of poker's most vocal and entertaining personalities, with a respected WSOP legacy
Industry influence (specific influences, changes attributed)
Helped shape poker media engagement and player branding through candid personality and podcasting
Provided poker commentary on ESPN WSOP coverage and PokerGO events