Mike Matusow, sporting dark-brown cropped curly hair, glasses, and usually a thick 5 o’clock shadow, mostly endures a love/hate relationship with the poker community. His outspoken, tell-it-like-it-is personality has earned him “The Mouth” as a nickname.
Despite lifetime tournament winnings exceeding $10 million and 4 bracelets, Mike Matusow is probably best known for being one of the “chattier” players at the table without a fear for television censors or sanctioned penalties for dropping the F-bomb at the WSOP.
His strengths include dominating the table with his aggressive and fearless style as well as picking up reads on his opponents.
Love him or hate him, Matusow is one of poker’s most watchable players. His explosive reactions to bad beats, his brutally honest table talk, and his genuine talent make him appointment television whenever he’s at a featured table.
How Mike Matusow Became “The Mouth”
Mike’s family moved to Las Vegas when he was 10, but his interest in gambling didn’t really begin until he was old enough to be talked into visiting the casinos. His first experience with video poker left him (self-admittedly) addicted, although the inherent casino advantage in such house games usually got the better of him.
Eventually, a friend of Matusow’s taught him how to play table poker in the early ’90s. He became successful in a short period of time and would grind out his living at the low-limit tables.
Becoming tired with the work-like atmosphere of long hours at the low-limits he became a dealer at a local casino in order to save up a large enough bankroll to compete at the higher limits.
While becoming successful at the $30/60 level, Mike’s winnings were most often depleted over the weekend due to sports betting. While his tournament and cash game winnings usually keep him comfortable these days, Matusow often has several open debts due to his side-game gambling.
Matusow’s early poker winnings were consistently wiped out by sports betting on weekends. It’s a pattern that would repeat throughout his career — brilliance at the poker table undermined by impulse control issues away from it.
Tournament Record
Mike Matusow has a strong record in poker tournaments, including WSOP wins in:
- 1999 (No-Limit Hold’em)
- 2002 (Omaha High/Low)
- 2008 (2-7 Lowball)
- 2013 (Seven Card Stud High/Low).
“The Mouth” also finished third in the 2004 World Poker Tour UltimateBet Aruba Classic for $250,000.
He made final tables at both the 2001 and 2005 WSOP Main Event.
Perhaps most memorable was Mike’s win at the 2005 WSOP Tournament of Champions, an invitation-only event that paid him $1,000,000 for the win following a brutal beat that sent him out in 9th place in the Main Event.
The 2005 WSOP Tournament of Champions was an invitation-only event featuring the game’s best players. Matusow’s $1 million win was vindication — proof that beneath the blowups and the drama, there was a genuinely elite poker player.
While making many final tables, the “Mike Matusow blow-up” is often held over his head for failing to close out tournaments and blowing off his remaining chips.
The Man Behind the Mouth
In my opinion, Mike Matusow is a talented poker player and one of the most entertaining to watch during television coverage.
Personal Demons
It’s an unfortunate fact that his success at the table was directly proportional to problems in his personal life.
In 2004, he served a 6-month jail sentence on a drug charge. Apparently, he befriended an undercover cop and offered his assistance in procuring ecstasy and prescription painkillers. He also has both ADHD and bipolar disorder, often affecting his poker game after long hours or if in between medications.
Matusow served 6 months in jail after befriending an undercover cop and helping him procure drugs. He’s been open about this period as the lowest point of his life and has spoken candidly about the struggle to rebuild both personally and professionally.
Speaking Before Thinking
Most of his ribbings at the table are in good humor and even if they aren’t (as in the case of Greg Raymer in the 2004 WSOP) he usually feels embarrassed and apologizes for his behavior later. He wears his emotions on his sleeve and isn’t afraid to show you how he feels.
Plus, he just loved to pick on Sean Sheikhan – one of the most obnoxious poker players on the circuit.
The Ted Forrest Prop Bet
In 2010, Mike Matusow made a bet with Ted Forrest, an avid poker player in his own right, famous for taking on some legendary prop bets.
This time around, “The Mouth” bet that Forrest could not drop under 140 pounds in a time span of nine weeks.
At the start of the bet, he weighed 188 pounds. The amount they agreed on was not a small one, as Mike offered 20:1 odds, betting against Ted’s $100,000, effectively putting $2,000,000 on the line.
The terms of the bet were that no diuretics or amputations (drastic, but $2 million is a lot of money) were allowed. Mike was convinced that this wasn’t doable, but Forrest had a lot of experience doing weight prop bets and knew what he was getting into.
After the nine weeks had expired, Forrest weighed exactly 138 pounds. “The Mouth” couldn’t believe his eyes, but it was time to pay the piper.
Matusow offered Ted Forrest 20:1 odds that he couldn’t drop from 188 to under 140 pounds in nine weeks. Forrest weighed in at 138. The Mouth owed $2 million he didn’t have — a reminder that the biggest gambles in poker sometimes happen away from the table.
Did He Pay?
This is where the problems started, as Mike Matusow simply stated that he did not have that kind of money and could not afford to pay. In the poker community, these bets are done on a shake of the hand, and Forrest, together with poker fans, was disappointed.
Afterwards, Mike claimed that he had promised to pay in $5,000 monthly increments and, although Ted did not agree, “The Mouth” stood firmly by his story.
When the initial dust settled, both parties went quiet on the matter, so whether Mike is still paying those $5,000 increments or they came to a different arrangement remains a mystery.
How the $2 million dispute played out
Matusow admitted he couldn’t pay the full amount. He claims he offered $5,000 monthly installments. Forrest reportedly didn’t agree to the terms. Both parties eventually went quiet on the matter, and whether the debt was ever fully settled remains unclear.
The incident became one of poker’s most infamous prop bet stories — a cautionary tale about making bets you can’t cover.
Mike Matusow is poker’s most human character. Four WSOP bracelets across four different variants prove his versatility and raw talent. But his career is equally defined by the blowups, the jail time, the sports betting, and the prop bet he couldn’t pay. He’s never pretended to be anything other than what he is — and that authenticity, for better or worse, is what makes “The Mouth” unforgettable.