Mike Matusow has made a name for himself in poker, and he's done it with his words as much as with his play. He has earned the nickname "The Mouth" for his table antics and his bullying demeanor at the table but when he was growing up, he was the one being bullied. Unlike many other poker players, Matusow never went to college; instead he wanted to be a mechanic. That goal did not pan out, and he ended up working in the family-owned furniture store.

Besides tinkering with cars, Matusow's other passion was gambling. His first gaming experience was when he turned eighteen, at Vegas' Maxim casino. He played so much video poker that he had repetitive stress injuries in his shoulders and arms and developed a gambling addiction.

The struggles Mike Matusow endured were a bit of a blessing, because they trained him for his poker career. He picked up his game when he got a job as a dealer at the Sam's Town Casino, gleaning tips from the players there. Professional player Steve Samaroff became a mentor to Matusow as well.

After he got off work at the dealer's table, Matusow played games like Omaha Hi/Lo and Texas hold 'em. Soon, he quit the dealer's job and decided to make poker his full-time job. He made it to the big leagues quickly, and his first cash finish came in a $2000 Omaha Hi/Lo tournament. He finished in second place and won more than $81,000.

Nguyen beat Matusow at that tournament, but Matusow helped him a lot the next year, paying part of his buy-in to the 1998 WSOP Main Event. Nguyen bested Matusow, winning a million dollars, and Matusow got a third of that because of his contribution to the buy-in.

Matusow didn't need to ask Scotty Nguyen for help anymore; he was earning plenty of money on his own. In 1999's WSOP he won a no-limit hold 'em event, winning a gold bracelet and more than $265,000. He won another bracelet in 2002 along with more than a half-million dollars in cash.

Despite his bracelet and cash wins, Mike Matusow's career has had its share of controversy. He spent time in jail in both 2004 and 2005 after being arrested for cocaine possession; he has struggled with drug addiction over the past few years. Matusow has a love/hate relationship with his fans, which was apparent when he gave Greg Raymer a verbal drubbing during the WSOP Main Event. However, his brash personality has won him appearances on shows like Poker After Dark and High Stakes Poker.

Lately, Mike Matusow has been keeping himself busy by playing poker online at PokerStars and Full Tilt; he still makes tournament appearances as well, and has almost seven million dollars in tournament earnings.