15
The Mouth That Roared
Hanging out in the Full Tilt lounge just prior to the start of the $3,000 Omaha High-Low Eight-or-Better tournament, Mike Matusow was being his usual loquacious self. Chatty, loud, intense, Mike talks like he plays poker: fast and furious.
SR: So you took yesterday off?
MM: I had to take yesterday off. I couldn’t get out of bed. I was just beat. That HORSE event was the most grueling tournament I can ever remember playing. Ever. I mean, EVER! And I didn’t even have to play to 9:00 a.m. on the second day like some of these people had to do. By the way that was the most disgusting thing to ever happen in tournament poker in history. To make them play until 9:00 am two days in a row is the most disgusting thing they could ever do.
SR: It was pretty ridiculous. It was almost like a test of endurance at the end of it.
MM: What were they worried about, they were going to lose an extra $50,000 in juice? I mean, how can they do something like that? Kudos to the people who held up that long. That tournament should have been a six- or seven-day tournament. They put a six- or seven-day tournament into three days.
SR: What do you think about the switch to no-limit at the final table?
MM: I like it but I don’t think it should have been called a HORSE tournament. They should advertise it as the Ultimate Poker Tournament. You understand what I’m saying?
SR: You playing in the Omaha today?
MM: Yeah, I feel good. I’ll be honest with you. Yesterday was the first time in the whole month that I felt burned out. I really feel that if I took three or four days off right now it would probably do me good, but I want to play the shootout tomorrow. [Yawns] I could use some days off. I know I’m taking four or five days off before the main event. That’s a for sure. I know how grueling that is, especially this year.
SR: So the big question is did you outlast Phil Hellmuth?
MM: What kind of a dumb question is that? Of course I outlasted Phil Hellmuth! You ever watch him play limit poker?
