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Summary – The Ted Forrest-Mike Matusow Weight-Loss Prop Bet of 2010 – #1117 – 2010 WSOP #98

Posted by Editor | Filed under 2010 WSOP, Justin "Boosted J" Smith, Mike Matusow, Ted Forrest, Weight Loss

After dinner and drinks at the Commerce in May, Ted Forrest, Mike Matusow, and Justin Smith outlined the terms of a weight-loss prop bet destined to upstage the Main Event of the 2010 World Series of Poker. The $2 million wager, which required Forrest to lose nearly 50 pounds in less than 2 ½ months, will certainly go down in gambling history as one of the most famous proposition bets ever.

I followed this story throughout the Series, meeting on numerous occasions with the principals and getting text updates. When Ted weighed in on July 13 at the now-empty Pavilion Room, naturally I was there to cover it and be a friend to Ted Forrest and Mike Matusow (who didn’t show up). Over a period of 30 hours, I posted the entire story in 7 parts, with 22 pictures.

To help you navigate all this material – and some additional posts to follow – I have prepared this summary, with links to appropriate posts, along with an idea of what is to come over the next few days..

POST BY POST ACCOUNT OF THE FORREST / MATUSOW WEIGHT LOSS PROP BET

1 – Ted Forrest’s Disappearing Act, Part I – This post provided background information on the bet, linked to my prior contact with the principals and focused on the opinions/actions of Ted Forrest and Mike Matusow during the last three days of the weight-loss bet, as Forrest cut weight and Mike faced the prospect of losing $2 million, not to mention any responsibility he felt about undermining Ted’s health.

2 – Ted Forrest: I Wanted to Show that the Impossible was Possible – This was the post I wrote immediately upon arriving home after the weigh-ins and witnessing Ted break the fast. It includes pictures of an emaciated Forrest and his explanation of why he took the challenge: “Somebody I care about very much needed to see that the impossible is possible.”

3 – On the Ted Forrest/Mike Matusow Beat – I explained how close I got to the story, and it includes a soft-core-porn-style photo of Ted and I waking Mike Matusow after we broke into his house.

4 – One Wants to Die … – This is where I described the televised ESPN weigh-in by Ted Forrest, my shock at his appearance, and my general concern for his well-being. It features several additional pictures of Forrest and ends with Ted & Co. leaving, announcing they are going to “wake Matusow the hell up” so they can declare the bet over and Ted can get a drink of water.

5 – At Nightfall, Ted Forrest Wants Two Things: Matusow & H20 – If this wasn’t already the weirdest story I’ve ever covered, the strangeness factor amped up to infinity after the weigh-in was “over.” Ted asked me to drive him and his group to Mike Matusow’s house, wake up Matusow, and help arrange the end to the bet. During the drive, Ted Forrest explained his diet and exercise ritual, and his drastic measures to cut more than 10 pounds of weight in the last 60 hours.

6 – Forrest & Matusow Meet at the Gates of Hell – We entered Mike Matusow’s house and woke him up – groggy, depressed, and genuinely alarmed at Forrest’s appearance. Considering that Mike just lost $2 million and Ted DID look ghastly, it was a pretty light-hearted end to one of the biggest and most remarkable weight-loss prop bets in history.

7 – Ted Forrest – Richer Than any King – During a nearly pornographic experience at the local Smith’s Grocery, Ted ate his first food in 11 days and described both his plans and experience in breaking extended fasts.

EARLIER POSTS THIS YEAR ON WEIGHT-LOSS SUBJECTS

January 14 – How to Lose Pounds, Money, and Dreams, Part I – The Andy Bloch Initiative – This post describes how I “got into the game,” not just reporting on the crazy activities of professional gamblers, but participating. My family wanted me to lose a lot of weight, so what better idea than a weight-loss prop bet?

January 20 – How to Lose Pounds, Money, and Dreams, Part II – Enter Professor Backwards – I engaged Ted Forrest as my wagering advisor as I prepared to develop a bet concerning my then-new attempt to lose weight. Forrest’s advice, tellingly, was (1) make the bet for millions, (2) make the bet for a drastically low weight, (3) let him buy into the action, and (4) “disappear” near the end of the time period. This post also has good “before” picture of Ted, when he won the Bay 101 WPT Championship.

January 25 – Roland de Wolfe vs. Canyon Ranch Spa – Shauna and I heard that Roland, facing a series of weight-loss bets of his own, was camped out at Tucson’s Canyon Ranch Spa. So we visited him and discussed prop bets, weight loss, and Chinese Poker.

January 26 – How to Lose Pounds, Money, and Dreams, Part III – The Wai[s]ting is the Hardest Part – This post outlines the terms of my weight-loss bet with Andy Bloch, and the diet and medication I was taking to lose weight (HCG).

May 31 – The Andy Bloch Diet – This is a summary, with before and after pictures, of my own $20,000 weight-loss bet with Andy Bloch. I lost 54 pounds in my bet, 3 more than Ted, though I started my weight-loss at 253 pounds, while Forrest began his at 188.

June 4 – Night with Ted Forrest, Part I – A World Rich with Possibility – I spoke with Ted for the first time at the Series, learned about the weight-loss bet, and took him up on his offer to accompany him on a midnight, 8-mile power walk. This post also contains a picture of Ted at the start of the Series. Here is another picture of us the same night, from another post, summarizing all the projects I was working on.

June 4 – Night with Ted Forrest, Part II – Mike Matusow is the voice of reason? – After speaking that night with both Ted and Mike, I described the terms of the prop bet: the amount Forrest had to lose, the dates, the financial arrangements. In particular, Matusow explains that he doesn’t have the ability to pay $2 million, and he thinks Forrest knows this.

June 11 – Boosted by Justin Smith – This weight-loss-betting madness gave me the opportunity to meet Justin “Boosted J” Smith, who was not only chummy with Forrest and Matusow but was becoming a party to their sick wagering activities. Justin described the evening they agreed on the bet, and how he made Forrest promise “he wouldn’t do anything that would cause him to die.” Ted, in return, made Justin Smith, if he lost consciousness, that Smith would throw his body on a scale and weigh it.

June 19 – Riding the Omaha-Purgatory Express, Part II – Watching the Omaha-8 championship, I describe some of the chatter at Ted Forrest’s table about the prop bet. The post also features a picture of Ted just three weeks before the end of the bet. In my eyes, the “before” and “after” pictures are barely the same person.

101 Responses to “Summary – The Ted Forrest-Mike Matusow Weight-Loss Prop Bet of 2010 – #1117 – 2010 WSOP #98”

DaveMcCarthy Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Leave any questions about this crazy story for Michael Craig here. If he answers it in the next few days, we’ll give you 500 FTP points.

– Fellow FTP blogger Dave McCarthy

What was the first full meal (not just fruit) Ted Forrest ate after the bet?

FTP ID: DaveMcCarthy

Ted restricted himself to just raw fruits and vegetables to break the fast. He told me the next day that he had a little vegetable soup and, finally, a little bit of turkey, and his body tolerated it all fine. “I have a lot of experience in breaking fasts, though I think I have a cast-iron stomach, he told me the other night. I described this in a subsequent post. http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/poker-blog/2010/07/ted-forrest-is-alive-and-%e2%80%a6-well-%e2%80%a6-1118-2010-wsop-99.php
MC
dale fish Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Honestly, what did ted look like, in person, health wise?
ftp name, aplusmhs

One of the reasons I had Shauna take 90 pictures that night, and the subsequent posts contain more than 20 of them, is to let you make your own judgment. But as I said in my posts, I was alarmed, and I thought he looked ghastly. On the other hand, he displayed reasonable health, doing such things as hopping up on the stage unassisted.
MC
Jeff Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Did Ted have a doctor monitoring his progress or would a risk taker of his type think that was unsportsmanlike? He seemed… well… quite sick and unhealthy towards the end of the bet. Actually he was a bit unrecognizable.

Froggetaboutit

No doctor that I know of and, probably, no doctor at all. Doctors are, after all, bound by the Hippocratic Oath and are known to be wary of lawsuits. That would make it very difficult to find a doctor willing to ride shotgun on such a stunt.
MC
John Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Was this the hardest personal challenge you’ve ever had to over come?
-Believem

That’s a hard one. I mean, there are many possible answers, and all kinds of challenges, all kinds of definitions of “difficult”. One that comes instantly to mind is getting Andy Beal and pros like Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, Howard Lederer, Barry Greenstein, Jennifer Harman, and Todd Brunson to tell me the story of their five-year poker match. Many, many people told me at the beginning of my research that no one would talk to me, the pros would never divulge that, Beal would no way have anything to do with it (he told me that himself in our first conversation). That one worked out pretty good.
MC
emb1990 Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
hahaha great post i picked Matusow to win the bet, but this brings up a very interesting question…What is the craziest thing you would do for 2 mill???

FTP id=emb1990

Geez, who can say? Probably less than you’d imagine though. I used to have a lot more than $2 million, and the ability to earn more than that per year. I gave up that living (I was a securities lawyer) and that money is long gone. Striving for that kind of money, having it, giving it up, losing/using it – I learned there are a lot of things more important than money, and a lot worse things than not having money. I’ve known several people who survived serious accidents, some of whom received large monetary settlements. I’ve yet to hear one of them say it was worthwhile, or that they wouldn’t trade the money to “undo” the accident. And why would someone pay $2 million for a prop bet if there wasn’t SOMETHING super-dangerous or unappealing about it?
MC
David Johnson Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Got a few actually..

What are the risks of not eating for that many days in a row? Because i mean was he just on a liquid diet the whole time? Also did Forrest know what he was getting himself into with not eating for this many days?

Thanks

David Johnson

I’m not doctor so I can’t authoritatively describe the risks of not eating. But I’ve read about the subject, and there are many places online you an go to read about that. Risks include vital organs like the liver and kidneys shutting down, heart failure, blindness, just about everything that can go wrong. After all, in industrialized countries, we think of food as a luxury, a treat, a social event, taking for granted that our bodies need it for every function. Take it away, and every function is at risk.
For nine days, all he did was drink a concoction of water, maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. During the last two days, he ate a tomato, a kiwi, and 5 raspberries. He and his coach/trainer Mike Santoro both said eating small amounts was probably better (for health and weight loss) than the “master cleanse.”
Ted knew very well what he was getting himself into. The man has a will, and a constitution, of iron. He’s undertaken, for various reasons, similar feats testing the limits of his endurance. In the next few days, I’ll post a “flashbacks” post to describe all of these, because some were written in prior blogs, magazines, and in THE PROFESSOR, THE BANKER, AND THE SUICIDE KING.
MC

FT- XDavidX808
Anonymous Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Michael, what were you more interested in seeing result from this infamous prop bet, seeing if Ted could lose all the weight needed to win the $2 million or seeing Ted make a positive, if not over-drastic, improvement to his personal lifestyle and health?

FTP ID: BIGAUS121

I’d love a result of this bet being that Ted improves his personal lifestyle and health. Ironically, if that happens, it won’t be BECAUSE of this weight loss, but DESPITE it. Ted has made something of a living/hobby/lifestyle-choice of doing things medical professionals would call “abusing his body.” Because of the potential that his drastic weight-loss has to put his organs at risk, if Ted had problems eating bad or drinking or smoking or taking drugs or not getting adequate sleep or driving when tired, etc. etc. etc., this is the time to give anything like that up. He’d already have a couple of month head start, and any of those bad habits, if he had them, would be extra-dangerous in his current condition.
MC
Michael Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
FTP ID: packerman49127

Would you recommend another couple of poker players to attempt this feat and who should give up food and who should put up the cash?

I think this is a great motivational tool, and not just for gamblers. There is a growing body of economics literature suggesting that financial incentives and disincentives can encourage people to follow through on losing weight. The real hard part is getting people (who need to lose weight – let’s face it, Ted doesn’t NEED to be anywhere near 138 lbs.) to maintain their weight loss. Considering the growing body of evidence on the value of financial incentives, the difficulty people have in maintaining weight loss, and the huge cost to the government and society of obesity, perhaps the government should get in the business of making weight-loss – and, more important, weight-loss maintenance – bets with overweight citizens.
MC
Tim Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Did the prop bet or the side effects of it have any impact on Ted’s poker game?(Positive or Negitve effects) If so, how did it effect his game?

FTP Shawkid

Ted didn’t have a great WSOP and I haven’t found out from him how the cash games have gone. But I would imagine it had little or no effect. Ted has played for 100+ hours straight in the past so, while on those occasions he was eating while playing, the physical privation is such that I imagine he is accustomed to such things. He did mention to me, as an aside, the he might not have been able to win the bet had he done better in the Main Event. Had he lasted several days in the Main, he wouldn’t have been able to keep up the level of physical activity – 6 hours a day of organized workouts, and almost constant motion (with little sleep) the rest of the day – he needed at the end.
MC
Roy Thomasson Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Michael, who did you want to win the bet? FTP ID: Corey Foxx0

Both are great friends. I didn’t want to see Mike lose two million he didn’t have. And I didn’t want to see Ted die. I wanted to see common sense prevail, though I would have bet against THAT outcome.
MC
susan west Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
OK Mike r u crazy betting on something like that? ok what did u do to try to win? FTP:cupcake1010
sillymoi Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Was this the strangest prop bet you have heard of? If not, what was?

FTP ID: sillymoi

This seems like one of the most extreme, but weight-loss prop bets have a long history. Ted told me that he and Huck Seed once started negotiating a bet over whether Huck could live in a closet for a year. They decided to abandon negotiations, Ted told me, “because we wondered whether that could kill Huck.” I overheard Seed telling ESPN he’s got some prop bet about playing the WSOP next year with his feet. Brian Zemec getting breast implants for 6 months – actually, longer, because he liked them so much – has to be up there. Then there was the bet that John Hennigan couldn’t live within the Des Moines, Iowa city limits for a month. What made that so interesting was that he begged to be let out of the bet after TWO DAYS!
Don’t get me started on this subject!
MC
Dan Gambill Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Why didnt you bet like that in the wsop?
WIZZO2
Andy Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Mr. Craig, how will the Mouth pay Ted the 2 million?

FTP ID: Dapper Andy

As I mentioned in a few of my posts on the subject, he thinks Ted knows he’ll have to take payments of $5-$10k per month. I also wrote than when I brought this up with Forrest, he said, “If mike ever had a conversation about that, he had it with himself.” I actually have a plan for Mike to pay Ted the whole $2 million right away, but it’s s complex sheme that involves Uncle Tilty and reworking Matusow’s deal with Full Tilt, as well as soon negotiations I barely know about involving Forrest and Full Tilt. I’ll write about it soon, especially if it has a chance of happening.
MC
Deb Gambill Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Did Ted get anorexia? How much weight did he lose?
BULLETS44MAG

No anorexia. He just stopped eating at the end. He lost 51 lbs, including 10 in the last 60 hours.
MC
Eddie Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Do you honestly think bets like this are good for both participants? I mean, either way one of them is going to be devastated by the results, even though Ted won his health still suffered as a result. FTP ID: Eddie Curtis

No, I think they are bad for both participants. Because of my incredible access to the story and all the benefit it’s done the blog, I might be the REAL winner. But I had nothing to do with this bet. I’m just the messenger.
MC
valrez Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
How did his girlfriend Pui feel about the bet?

FTP ID: valrez

You buy the ticket, you take the ride.
MC
yanick Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Wow 11 days haha did you feed him lots of alcohol or get him some sleeping pills to sleep all day and night ?

FTP id yanick2

Quite the opposite. Although Forrest slept 8 hours the night before the weigh in, he slept just 2-3 hours per night during most of that period. He was so sleep-deprived he almost fell asleep on an elliptical machine.
MC
Oloughm Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:15 pm
Hey Michael,
I have lost 20 pounds over the past 6 months..I’m a total gym rat and I love it, but I also love poker! I’m in the best shape of my life and love going to the gym for a good workout and or running outside.
Has this prop bet inspired you to get in to shape or not? Not trying to call you out..because I understand the lifestyle of a professional poker player can be some what demanding..
Have you considered getting a prop bet with somebody to see how much weight you can lose? I bet you would have a fun time doing it…as long as you don’t wait to the last minute..as it seems Ted forrest might have done that.
Thanks,

FTP ID: Oloughm

I DID do a prop bet for weight loss, and lost over 50 pounds. I played most of the WSOP on Andy Bloch, who offered me the $10k v. $20k over whether I could get under 200 lbs. before the start of the Series, starting at the beginning of the year. (2:1 odds meant that Bloch owned a 50% interest in my as I used the $20k for entry fees.) If you look through this Summary post, you’ll see links to my experience – including asking Ted Forrest to advice!
MC
Alexis Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
What were the odds? Mike and Justin layed even odds to Ted?

Ted got odds of 10-1 and 20-1. So it was $50k to $1m whether Ted could get under 140 lbs. by July 15, and $100k to $1m whether he could do it by September 24.
MC
Wiccan53 Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
How many times while the bet was on did you consider calling it off and conceding?

FTP ID: Wiccan53
mike Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
Ted mentioned that he was doing this to show someone anything is possible. Did he ever elaborate on what that side story may have been?

ftp ID: mimo369

Not yet, but I’ll try to get him to tell me and report it.
MC
Johnny(ACES)Cabral Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Mike or Ted …Why do you think prop bets of large proportions are becoming more and more of the normal thing in a poker players life?…FTP screen name…JBCD71

This is Mike Craig answering, not Matusow or Forrest, but I think I can give you a better answer than they could. First, these bets have been around for awhile. In SUICIDE KING, I described bets during the Nineties like this: Forrest and Seed running a marathon on the 4th of July, Huck playing 5 rounds of golf in one day, no cart, 3 clubs in the vegas summer heat. Doyle’s been doing weight loss bets for decades. You’re just hearing more about it. The stakes are getting higher because these guys are making more money, and, being GAMBLERS, they are going to put their money at work on that.
MC
Wiccan53 Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Corrrection to my original post

Question was for Ted Forrest. How many times while the bet was on did you consider calling it off and conceding?

FTP ID: Wiccan53
johnny Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Why is Mike barefooted?
FTP ID: ACEJT

Are you guys looking at these pictures like the Beatles’ ABBEY ROAD album cover? Paul McCartney was barefooted and somehow a group of people has concluded that Paul had died and this is a “fake” Paul. As much as I’d like the same kind of mythology to spring out of my blog – maybe I’ll just say “My blog is bigger than Jesus” – Mike is barefooted because he just woke up. As I mentioned in one of the posts, Ted and I woke him up. Be glad he put on a shirt and pants at least, okay?
MC
mike Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Will matusow pay this in one lump sum or will he maybe stake ted in future tourney’s till he pays off?

ftp id: mimo369

Check my earlier answer to Dapper Andy – it was comment #14.
mike Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Did any other players try to talk Ted out of doing this?

ftp id: mimo369

I don’t know the answer to this but one of two answers are likely: (a) probably – a lot of players expressed their concern that this was a bad idea; and (b) probably not – you don’t talk Ted Forrest out of doing something and, besides, these are gamblers. Their credo is that it’s their money, their risk, and win or lose, they’re going down gamblin’.
MC
Chad Y Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
FTP ID: YODADDY624

These were a great read. Nice job. Couple questions.

1. Has Mike paid off the bet, if so how did he pay it? cash, post-dated check, IOU?

2. Is Mike currently flush with 2MM to pay off this wager?

3. What are Mike and Ted’s bank account balances?
maurice Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
was ted completely disoriented after such a feat? he must have been physically exhausted.

ftp ID : mistasizzlak
brayx13 Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
All that weight couldn’t have been lost just my not eating, if he didn’t, what else did forrest do to lose the pounds?
Lawrence Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
why do you do prop bets worth 2 mil then go play a poker charity game and contribute like 2k for a buy in? will any of this 2mil go into a charity?

FT ID: merkery
Tom Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 12:15 am
Michael: What personality traits do you think Ted has that first gives him the confidence to wager his health and well-being and second the will power to succeed on these wagers?

FTP ID: Phishrman
Anonymous Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 12:24 am
Did you ever think of conceding along the way?

FTP ID:Skills_Luck39
JAIME Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 12:43 am
this has been your craziest or have done it it is and repeat it again ?

FPT: junior386
dadsrusonline Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 1:13 am
i have to say for 2million i would do almost nething amazing bet nice outcome lol
dadsrusonline
Nicsmix Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 1:33 am
First of all, thanks for your detailed report of this prob bet.

Second, my question to Michael:

Did you ever think about the echo your bet might effect at people who want to loss weight, but not keep in mind, what uncontrolled stop of eating could result in? Are you gonna post a detailed and carefully arranged recipe for losing wight in the next days to underline which points should be kept in mind to not risk your health?

Regards, Nico aka NICSMIX on FTP
Anonymous Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:27 am
what kept you busy and not hungry besides the bet? What were u doing on those 10 days that made u forget about eating?
Tracie Hamilton Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:29 am
Mike, Do you think that Ted will keep the weight off?

ftp id: traciehamilton
shawn gilbert Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:29 am
Hey Mike, i’m from Daytona Beach man, I recently played w/ u here at the poker room in daytona, and i was wondering, since u can lose 2 mil in a prop bet, do you think you can loosen up a bit next time u come here and play? HAHA.

FTP player id: Richard Gilbert
shant Babayan Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:29 am
wat kept u busy on those 10 days wat were u doing? do u reccomend someone doing this same bet?

ft id : the 323
Sean Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:32 am
Mike had a great time meeting you at the Bellagio Cup Final table last year. I was the guy just returning from an Iraq deployment. My question is: What advice would you give to someone trying to break into the world of professional poker? Especially a military guy like myself on a fairly fixed income.

ftpid: Aces_Malone
Anonymous Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:39 am
Michael, do you know when ted will next play poker again? I am assuming he will still be taking a break from poker because of the amount of weight he lost.

FTP ID: Cdub512
Andy Ng Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:41 am
How many pounds did Ted lost during the 11 days that he didn’t eat?

I know he lost 10 lbs. in the last 60 hours. I don’t know his exact weight on July 2 when he started the Cleanse, but it was probably about 155.
MC
April Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:42 am
Hello Mike…Is it true that Ted wanted you to pay him with your stake in Full Tilt? Is that worth 2 million dollars? Is there a chance that you may pay him this way?

Lots of luck to you in the future!

April M.

Full Tilt Poker ID: HOLDEMHUNNY
SteveH369 Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:43 am
What kinds of supplements (vitamins / minerals etc.) did Ted use during this diet?
SteveH369 Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:43 am
What kinds of supplements (vitamins / minerals etc.) did Ted use during this diet?

ftp id: steveh369
Barry Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:46 am
Not sure if this was asked….but why exactly did Ted do this? I know it was to prove it can be done to a friend of his, but who was he/she and why?

ftp id: barrgoo
Jennifer D. Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:51 am
Has Ted kept the weight off or has he gained some or most of it back after being malnutritioned?

FTP ID : punkgirl_rox

As I mentioned in “Ted Forrest is Alive and … Well …”, he was up to 153 lbs. the next day.
MC
Kevin Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:51 am
Describe what the feeling was for not eating in 11 days? (Side Note: I am starving every 3-5 hours, I can’t even imagine what excruciating pain he was in.) FTP ID: Sjostrom7
Barry Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:52 am
hah just saw Phil Laak’s twitpic, apparently Ted’s back up to 153 already!
Timotronx Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 3:03 am
Did you do excercise or just a diet?

FTP ID: Timotronx
Lee adams Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 3:24 am
Is the mouth on tilt? ftp id- Jobei
Alan Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 4:49 am
How was it like to be in 2 million wager and feel about being in gambling history?

FTP ID: kingofabc
1LOV Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 5:46 am
Did Ted express the desire of playing poker throughout this 11-day test? And could Ted in any way be able to play any poker game after the first days without food?

FTP ID: 1LOV
Ventsi Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 5:54 am
Did you want to lose weight, aside from the bet? I mean was this bet a sign of lacking motivation? Would you have tried to be slimmer without betting on it?

FTP ID: vnzQ2
Pete Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 7:41 am
Hey Mike,
You are looking great.
Is your weight loss intentional or is there a health problem?Hope it IS intentional.From a fellow dieter you are doing great!
Pete
Marek Z Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 8:57 am
How did Ted feel after the 11 days of not eating? And is he willing to do it again or not? If there was another bet would he do it or not?
FTP ID : Marecski
joker_poker61 Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 9:20 am
Mike what made you so interested in this story & what was the biggest bet you ever won?
Kevin Flute Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 10:01 am
I realize that what Ted did was very unhealthy and scary to some of his close friends and family. But I’m pretty sure that most of use wouldn’t care because there is 2 million sitting on the table.

So, I ask you…would you be one of the willing to do this kind of prop bet for that kind of money?

FTP ID: Kevin Sioux
Darko Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 10:37 am
What was the expression of Mike’s face when he saw Ted Forrest in his house, does he recognized him?
Did Ted was sad when he open the Mike’s refrigerator?

FTP ID: STILL_mkd
0maxpower0 Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 10:59 am
wow, 2 million dollar prop bet, thats pretty ridiculous. Was there any illness suffered from trying to diet that quickly. Has forrst got sick at all??

FTP ID 0maxpower0
Sajib Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Is this the craziest bet placed ever in the poker community? I guess Mike Matusow had placed even crazier bet than this one before. Please let us know if he had gone crazier than this (at least as crazy as this one) before.

ty

FTP ID: phoenix_bd
geoff Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 11:44 am
seeing its for 2 mil did you have someone following you to make sure you arnt cheating and sneaking food?

ftpid Geckos06
FLOP2ME Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Michael I’ve been catching all your posts related to this story. You’ve done an outstanding job on it. I love your insites. thank you for not only this story, but all your posts.
FTP ID: FLOP2ME
ps. when will the Freeroll be for Contest of picking the winner. I got it right w/ Ted winning the bet.
Chad Y Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
FTP ID: YODADDY624

Do you and Ted have plans to collaborate on a new diet book and program called “The $2 Million $ Diet!”?
Jeremy Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Do you think that this weight loss wager made between Ted & Mike has more to do about generating publicitiy for each of them, than it does with an actual bet? It seems insane to me, that someone would go thru the extreme measures that Ted went thru (to lose that much weight in such a short time frame), knowing that Mike doesn’t have the money to pay up.

Which brings me to my next question. Has Mike made a payment to Ted? I haven’t read anything indicating that he has, which leads me to believe that this bet was about publicity.

FTP ID: JJD1973
Seromy Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
What is your favorite hand?
Ftp id : Seromy
Lefteris Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Were you ever at the point, or how many times it crossed your mind, u know what, i dont care about the bet anymore, i’m gonna quit and eat everything in front of me???

FTP ID: Sentro
chris Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Ok dude I gotta ask were taking any weight loss drugs or smoking meth or crack not saying you did but how in the hell did you get past the hunger pains the one that make your tummy growl like a grizzly,didn’t you get dizzy or anything,how did you not get sick,its amazind and I will I’m proud of what you did,2 mil from mike m. Is about the best thing on earth,I just hope he has 2 mil to pay you grwat job and gl on keeping it off that’s the real challenge keeping it off: ) I hope you do for your health buddy your an awesome poker player,keep up the good work man:):)
Fulltilt id. – happytokin
Nate Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Since Ted was willing to sacrifice so much to prove the impossible was possible to someone special, do you consider yourself lucky that he considers you a friend?

If you don’t mind, I would like to ask a follow up question to that also. Let me preface that I do not discount Ted’s motivation in the bet. With the large sums of money involved, does it worry you how the media will portray the prop bet considering most will not understand Ted’s motivation?

FTP ID : Inadvisable
Chad Y Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
Gotta love Sam Grizzle. Can you get the lowdown on what he’s been up to and why the hell he’s sleeping on Matusows sofa. Is he el busto with nowhere to live? Did they share a Vegas call girl? Too drunk to drive home?

FTP ID: YODADDY624
Cliff Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 12:57 am
say micheal you were 250 and u were involed in the prop bet do you think you could have done it and would you have did some thing alittle differ? do you think in the long runn it will help Ted or will he gain it all back?
ftp id hcpt_850
pokerbandit22 Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 3:34 am
well they say you can go with out eating but you have to drink a lot of water.you can go longer with out eating the you can drinking. and why is mike barefooted?
you look real good micheal.you think you well keep the waight off?
yohan Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 5:44 am
WOW mike good job, nice blog
FTP-ID: shaggy2018
pokerbandit22 Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 6:21 am
how did you keep from wanting to eat?
has mike payed you yet?
you are looking good.do you
think you well be able to keep the weight off?
and what was the first thing you ate after the bet?
why didnt mike step up to see what his weight was?
looking foreword to playing.
good luck everyone
3ple9 Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 9:04 am
If someone would give me 2Millions, I wouldn’t eat
2 Month…!!! LOL…:)
james forgy Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
have vaulable lesson have you learned about weight loss? do you plan on maintaining the current weight you have acheived?

FT id = DiscinFrog

If you’re asking this of Ted Forrest, he probably just learned (confirmed really) that he can do anything he sets his mind to. I know he didn’t plan on keeping at that ridiculously low weight. He was in the 150s the next day. Ted’s “natural” weight is probably in the 170s, maybe high 160s. He told me 185 was a little high for him, which is about where he started. That’s about what he weighed when I met him, maybe a few pounds less. But turning 40, some sports injuries, etc. caused his weight to creep up to 200 by early 2007. That caused him to go on an “actual diet” – eating healthier foods, etc. – and he got down to the 170s by the fall. That’s where he’s been, though his weight crept up into the 180s this year.

If you’re asking me, because I lost 50 lbs before the Series, my goal is to continue exercising regularly, stop eating sweets and pizza, lose some more weight, and lay off the carbs generally.

MC
wahoobytes Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
thats a pretty good bet did he win?
im gonna have do a bet with my buddy now lol.

ftp id: wahoobytes

Yes, Ted won. I encourage you to read the seven-part post for the whole story. It’s remarkable.
MC
george Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
pizza…..
ftp id- shadeizatool
DonAcesUp Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
is there a video?

ESPN videotaped the weigh-in at the Rio, so look for that during the Main Event coverage.
MC
FLOP2ME Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Michael I asked you this question last night while you were playing at Ft. Ask ted “who” is talking about when he made the statement. I took the bet to prove to someone special that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.
Thank you
FTP ID: FLOP2ME

Ted hasn’t specified. I’ll try to get him to tell me and pass it along in the blog.
MC
jack Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
well if you are happy then thats all that matters as far as im concerned,

FTP: busey28
lee Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
i need to try this im getting big myself good job.

FTP leealanlee
Juan Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
When you sat down for that first real meal after it was all over, did you get sick afterward? If so, how long was it before you could eat normally again?

Ft name is thejuanupsman

Ted told me he has a lot of experience breaking fasts, and ate just raw fruits and vegetables that first night. The next day, he has vegetable soup and a little turkey. I’d say he’s probably eating normally again. I hope so – Shauna and I are supposed to have dinner with him today or tomorrow.
MC
emb1990 Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Very true to your answer to my question, thanks for the response!
Cody Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
when ted’s mom found out about his fruit and veggies diet she must have been so happy he was finally eating his fruits and veggies, since it was probably difficult to get him to eat them as a kid

ft name is the_codeman_99

Now THAT’S funny!
MC
rob Says:
July 18th, 2010 at 12:04 am
How can this be “delicately” asked. Did this diet end up in any constipation, or the opposite effect? Seems like they always do one or the other to me.

I promise I’ll ask Ted next time I talk with him, but I predict the answer is “no, because ….” Eating just raw fruits and vegetables should work well with your digestive system, but not eating for 9 days? Technically, you could count that as constipation, because you’re not putting anything in your body, so nothing’s going to come out. But I’ll find out if that was remedied by eating again.
MC
Oloughm Says:
July 18th, 2010 at 1:03 am
That’s awesome Michael!!Congrats!
mags Says:
July 18th, 2010 at 7:16 am
Would you consider writing or co-writing a whole book about this or a similar experience? I don’t know if Ted Forrest wants to write his own book, but if you were to undertake something of this magnitude you could probably document it from your own point of view.

FTP ID: gumanila

Of course I’d consider it. I’ve always said that my next book wouldn’t be about poker, and I’d have to leave poker to write it, but that’s because (a) I need a lot of money to write the kind of book, and put forth the kind of effort, I expect of my next project, and (b) I don’t think there’s that kind of money or an appropriate topic in poker. But if someone call a-knockin’ with a poker book with a guaranteed advance somewhere in the six figures (before the decimal point!), I’d definitely consider it. And Ted Forrest has been my favorite person to write about in poker, with Mike Matusow not far behind.
MC
Chad Y Says:
July 18th, 2010 at 9:07 am
Best answer ever #17….

“You buy the ticket, you take the ride.”
Jonathan Choe Says:
July 18th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Hi my question to you is, What would you recommend a begginner in a situation like this ?
I have recently just started playing poker on full-tilt and would like to know every answer to any situation. And also what did he mean by doing the impossible?

ftp : bigblinddsucka

I recommend reading THE FULL TILT POKER STRATEGY GUIDE – TOURNAMENT EDITION. And I’ll press Ted to find out what he meant, the next time I talk with him.
MC
chuckamuck Says:
July 19th, 2010 at 8:43 am
What did Ted Forrest have for dinner when yourself and Shauna went out with him? Is he back to ‘normal’ food yet?

ftp name: chuckamuck

Unfortunately, we didn’t get an opportunity to have dinner with Ted Forrest before we left town. But yes, he’s back to normal food.
MC
JP Says:
July 19th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Any word from Ted if boosted J paid off his part of the debt, or if he will be making payments in installments too? From reading your blogs, it looks like boosted J owes 200k or so, and I know he won more than that with his 2nd place bellagio cup finish. FTP ID: cjizzle

I haven’t heard, from either Ted or Justin. I’ll let you know as I find out, as a lot of people are interested in the mechanics of this one (i.e., how/when/if Ted is getting paid).
MC
thomas Says:
July 24th, 2010 at 8:03 am
michael, great stuff … i know tax law wasn’t your bag, but what are the tax implications of winning this kind of bet … does ted have to recognize it all as income this year? or is it only as michael pays it?

You’re right, tax law isn’t my bag. My knowledge is more “my guess if I was in this situation.” I say, never underestimate the ability of the government to accuse you of not paying taxes, but that would mean “to be on the safe side,” I’d take it as $2 million in income for 2010. If, as many people assume, there’s no way Ted can get $2 million out of Mike and would have to make do with relatively small monthly payments, that seems a lot of up-front tax liability. I’d therefore want to pay taxes as I received the money; that seems more fair and realistic. On the other hand, if I had a huge gambling LOSS for 2010 (which generally can’t be carried forward), I’d definitely WANT to claim the whole gain for 2010 to use the loss as an offset. Then I wouldn’t have to pay taxes on the money as it later came in.

But again, I’m just guessing at all this. I don’t know the law and haven’t checked it.
MC
milos Says:
August 4th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Regards from Serbia, one qw.. In Serbia poker is steal not such big thing like in America and other countrys.. What the player from this country have to do to emprove and reach the gold play with best players at wsop? Ty pls answer regards fom Serbia
Jaime Says:
August 5th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Full Tilt Poker Game #22585950121: $50,000 Rush Week Freeroll (169731952), Table 886 – 50/100 – No Limit Hold’em – 16:04:51 ET – 2010/07/25
Seat 1: Michael Craig (4,007)
Seat 2: ferfer2323 (545), is sitting out
Seat 3: Melodia1 (635), is sitting out
Seat 4: Simsenaty1 (2,700)
Seat 5: C Firpo (585), is sitting out
Seat 6: unraw (780), is sitting out
Seat 7: j4ime20 (7,904)
Seat 8: AA_goldberg_AA (985), is sitting out
Seat 9: bigc159 (8,660)
ferfer2323 posts the small blind of 50
Melodia1 posts the big blind of 100
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to j4ime20 [Ks Kh]
Simsenaty1 folds
C Firpo folds
unraw folds
j4ime20 has 8 seconds left to act
j4ime20 raises to 200
AA_goldberg_AA folds
bigc159 folds
Michael Craig raises to 750
ferfer2323 folds
Melodia1 folds
j4ime20 has 15 seconds left to act
j4ime20 calls 550
*** FLOP *** [8s 5s 3h]
j4ime20 checks
Michael Craig bets 800
j4ime20 raises to 7,154, and is all in
Michael Craig calls 2,457, and is all in
j4ime20 shows [Ks Kh]
Michael Craig shows [3d Ac]
j4ime20: x
Uncalled bet of 3,897 returned to j4ime20
*** TURN *** [8s 5s 3h] [2d]
*** RIVER *** [8s 5s 3h 2d] [2c]
j4ime20 shows two pair, Kings and Twos
Michael Craig shows two pair, Threes and Twos
j4ime20 wins the pot (8,164) with two pair, Kings and Twos
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 8,164 | Rake 0
Board: [8s 5s 3h 2d 2c]
Seat 1: Michael Craig (button) showed [3d Ac] and lost with two pair, Threes and Twos
Seat 2: ferfer2323 (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 3: Melodia1 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: Simsenaty1 didn’t bet (folded)
Seat 5: C Firpo didn’t bet (folded)
Seat 6: unraw didn’t bet (folded)
Seat 7: j4ime20 showed [Ks Kh] and won (8,164) with two pair, Kings and Twos
Seat 8: AA_goldberg_AA didn’t bet (folded)
Seat 9: bigc159 didn’t bet (folded)
Jeren Says:
August 5th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
What were Mike Matusow’s first words when he saw Forrestthat morning? Haha…
Jeren Says:
August 5th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
Sorry… forgot… /\ FTP ID: thejwun
Jeren Says:
August 5th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Absolutely awesome… haha. What were Mike Matusow’s first words when he saw Forrest that morning?

FTP ID: thejwun
poker rakeback Says:
September 10th, 2010 at 6:12 am
“Somebody I care about very much needed to see that the impossible is possible.”

This is crazy, impossible shouldn’t be possible when it comes to one’s health. I guess putting your life onto the line for $2m does make sense for some folks, but these guys are both rich…If I lost 50 lbs I’d prolly kick the bucket
19Schweiner@gmail.com Says:
December 28th, 2010 at 9:41 am
I came across this web log a several weeks back nevertheless completely did not remember to bookmark it – I won’t make the exact same mistake just as before – it is going right inside my favourites.

Summary – The Ted Forrest-Mike Matusow Weight-Loss Prop Bet of 2010 – #1117 – 2010 WSOP #98

101 Responses to “Summary – The Ted Forrest-Mike Matusow Weight-Loss Prop Bet of 2010 – #1117 – 2010 WSOP #98”

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