2006-02-22 06:00:39
Mike Matusow: A Lost Soul
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You know the sad thing about Mike Matusow? You just knew that when he final tabled the World Series of Poker and won the Tournament of Champions that he was going to chunk off his new winnings. I remember when I heard about his victory in the Tournament of Champions, I thought to myself, "I wonder how much of that is going to the people he is in debt too, and if any is left over after that, how fast it will take him to lose it all."
Mike Matusow is one of the best Omaha 8/B players in the world, and probably the best heads up at the game. And without a doubt, he is one of the best No Limit Hold'em tournament players in the world. His ability to read his opponents is uncanny. But when it comes to cash games and sports betting? Watch out, cause Matusow is a degenerative gambler.
I like Mike Matusow. I've met him before. He is charismatic and a real joy to talk to. He is definitely one of the "bad boys" of poker, but he's like Phil Hellmuth without the whining. Hellmuth isn't a guy you want to cheer for, but Matusow is. When Matusow final tabled the World Series of Poker, I really wanted him to win. When he won the Tournament of Champions, I was really quite happy.
He's a guy you want to cheer for. But when you hear stories about him chunking off huge amounts of money gambling on sports, you tend to get frustrated. When you see him online, taking an absolute beating playing at the No Limit Hold'em cash tables, you get frustrated. According to Matusow himself, he is down over 2 million dollars playing online this year. Not cause he's a bad player. But because he gets steamed and then tilts off huge chunks of money.
Every poker player is a gambler. It's the nature of the sport. But Matusow seems to lack bankroll management, and seems to always be broke or in debt. I like Matusow, and really don't want to see him go the way of Stu Ungar; a brilliant poker mind that succumbed to addiction.
Filed Under: Player Profiles
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