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#669 – What You Can Learn From Watching Mike Matusow Do Nothing, Part II – The First Hour
7:01 PM – On the first hand, Matusow raises the 15-30 blinds to 90. All fold.
7:03 PM – Third hand. Mike calls a raise from the big blind and folds to a bet on the flop.
7:04 PM – He rebuys, going from 1,485 to 2,885. [This is the only time he rebuys.]
7:05 PM – Mike is part of three-way all-in pre-flop. He has 3-3 vs. 9-9 and Q-J. He gets a three and chips up to 8,280. “OK I’m done gambling.” I think he means it.
7:15 PM – Mike hasn’t played another hand since he won with the set of threes, even though his table is 5-handed.
7:18 PM – The rail is a circus, with at least 25 people typing messages at a time. Still, Mike answers a couple questions, one about rebuy strategy. “I just know in a rebuy tournament once you triple up play good.” I chime in and ask, “Mike, when did you ever do well in a rebuy?” He mentions the 2004 WSOP $1,000-Rebuy event, where he made the final table and finished fifth, busting to Paul Phillips in a hand where he famously blew up. But the question was a set-up and Mike missed it. After all, Mike Matusow won the No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Rebuy event at the 2008 World Series of Poker, a tournament that probably played tougher than even the $50,000 HORSE.
7:22 PM – Mike still hasn’t played another hand. He is asked his opinion about the WSOP eliminating rebuy events. “Travesty to take them out. If players don’t like them, they can skip them.”
7:23 PM – Mike limps UTG for 40. The button, who has 900 chips, raises. Matusow pushes all-in. The raiser folds. 8,075.
7:24 PM – One player limps. Mike in the small blind calls. Big blind checks. Flop is Ts-Jc-8d. Mike bets 160. Two callers. After the 4c on the turn, Mike pushes all-in and the others fold. 8,575.
7:28 PM – Orion limps, Mike checks in his big blind. The flop is 5c-Tc-2c. Both check. Turn: 2d. Mike checks, Orion bets 120, and Mike calls. River: 6s. Mike checks and Orion bets 340. Mike takes his time. “Flopped the nuts huh?” But he calls. Orion was bluffing with the ace of clubs. Mike takes the pot with 7h-2h for trip deuces.
7:37 PM – The empty seat to Mike’s right was filled by The Universe112 several minutes earlier and they get into a hand. Universe raises to 150. Mike calls as does the small blind. Flop: Kc-2s-7d. It’s checked to Mike and he bets 425. Universe calls. Turn: 6s. Both check. River: 3s. Universe checks and Mike bets the pot, 1,350. Universe check-raises all-in for 4,825. As Matusow thinks about it, he says, “I’m so bad. I got AA. I know you have a big hand.” He folds and Universe shows … T-T.
Is this gamesmanship by Mike? One of my favorite tricks is to agonize over an easy fold and make some outrageous statement to encourage the other player to show their hand and give away some information.
7:40 PM – Would Mike really throw away aces on the river with that board, with that action? The rail doesn’t believe it and neither do I. Mike wins a 1,000-chip pot with trips. 7,500.
7:47 PM – Mike is still talking about throwing away his aces, so now I’m thinking he probably did have them. He certainly wouldn’t need to keep “selling” the table on it. Either they already believe him – or they don’t or they don’t care. And he already got his mileage out of saving he had them when Universe showed his hand.
7:56 PM – Mike raises UTG and is called by the button. Flop: Ts-9d-2h. Both check. Turn: 3s. Mike bets 320 and the button calls. The river is another ten. Mike bets the pot, about 1,000. The other player folds. 8,040.
8:00 PM – Mike loses 1,000 on the last hand before the break, reraising in the big blind, getting two calls, and checking until the original raiser moves in on the turn. He adds-on 2,000 chips for $300, bringing his cost for the tournament to $909 and his stack to 8,940.
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