Two poker players that have gone bad are Mike “The Mouth” Matusow and Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott. Both have done time; Matusow for drugs and refusal to wear a wire, and Ulliott for robbery and assault. Matusow was in prison from September 2004 to April 2005. While he was in there he lost $250,000 that he had won in a WPT event on sports betting, and had to be staked once he got out of the clink.
Dave Ulliott was a real bad boy. He was a member of a safe-cracking team and spent time behind bars in England on numerous occasions. After a friend’s wife convinced him to go straight, he has become one of the best poker players in the world.
Both have changed their evil ways now and have learned from their wild ways. Both have won millions playing poker and don’t need to break any laws anymore.
Apparently one of the fast-food giants has decided that poker is a good way to sell their chicken.
KFC has created a commercial that has poker stars David Williams, Gavin Smith, and Paul Wasicka eating fried chicken and putting opponents on hands. It is a breakthrough for the industry, as no poker star has entered such a celebrity/sports figure-dominated market before.
What this says is that the big corporate suits are recognizing that poker stars are admired and can be used to sell product. Before this, most promotional work was industry-related. If poker stars end up proving that they can sell chicken, the sky is the limit as to the promotional work the players could get. The poker industry is full of entertaining characters that would be naturals as actors.
Let’s hope the players don’t sell out too much and keep it all tasteful. I’d hate to see Mike Matusow hawking mouthwash.
If you ever end up at a poker table with Mike Matusow, make sure you bring headphones or ear plugs. Nicknamed “The Mouth”, Matusow is famous for his non-stop talking barrage at the poker table. He’s also famous for his barrage of trash-talk at the tables; just ask Greg Raymer.
Matusow’s in-your-face style of play has been both a help and a hindrance to his bankroll during his poker career. Matusow has won two WSOP bracelets – one in the 1999 $3,500 No Limit Hold’em event, and the other in the 2002 $5,000 Omaha Hi/Lo event. Matusow also pocketed a cool million dollars after winning the WSOP Tournament of Champions in 2005.
But Matusow’s fiery brand of play has also been a hindrance because he has been known to ruin hours of good play by making a stupefying mistake from time to time. This occurrence has been regular enough to earn its own moniker, and it known alternately as either the “Mike Matusow Blowup” or the “Mike Matusow Meltdown”. You can shoot your mouth off with impunity in most circumstances, but if you put your balls on the line from time to time, eventually someone will deliver a swift mule-kick to the groin.
Matusow’s poker-playing career came to grinding halt in 2000 after he became a habitual drug abuser of ecstasy, speed, cocaine and alcohol. Matusow resumed playing poker eventually, and even quit drugs between May to September 2003 before a marathon session of speed and alcohol derailed his sobriety. Matusow’s drug use came to a head in 2003 when he was arrested for selling and trafficking controlled substances, which landed him in jail from September 2004 to April 2005.
Since his release from prison, Matusow has been drug-free and is once again one of the most feared and loudest poker players at the tables. With his life back on track Matusow has become a familiar face on numerous poker tours and poker T.V. shows, and is a member of Team Full Tilt.
Read “Mike the Mouth Speaks: Part I” and “Mike the Mouth Speaks: Part II” for more great stuff!
