Mike Matusow Sentenced.
I have just returned from a morning at the Clark County Courthouse and need to post while everything is fresh. I was in Judge Mosley’s, Clark County District Court Judge Department 14, courtroom to offer my support to Mike Matusow on this black day in his life. He was there to be sentenced for his guilty plea to a felony count involving illegal drugs. Mike had agreed to a plea negotiating that required him to do six months detention and months of probation. The Judge was not bound by the agreement and could impose whatever sentence he deemed necessary to protect the good citizens of Clark County. His Honor chose to honor the agreement and Mike was sentenced to six months confinement in the Clark County Jail located in downtown Las Vegas. Mike was immediately cuffed and taken away to begin doing the time. Mike will be housed about a city block’s distance from Binion’s Horseshoe where he has won multiple WSOP events and bracelets. His success at the high stakes tournaments made him a known entity throughout the poker community. His success is probably the biggest contributing factor to his current problems.
I chatted with Mike and watched the court proceedings progress with bad guy after bad guy appearing before the Judge. A stoic Mike had come prepared with his poker faced persona and carefully watched the room while awaiting his turn. One sentencing involved a young man that had participated in felony vandalism and destruction of private property, he and his friends wandered through a Vegas neighbor one night and torched autos parked in driveways resulting in thousands of dollars of losses. He was sentenced to supervised probation and told not to engage in destructive behavior again, no jail time. This guy is out on the street and I’m supposed to sleep well and not worry about my auto bursting into flames?
Mike and I talked about a number of topics including his final hand at the recently completed tournament in Aruba. Mike was in the small blind with a Q-9o and one caller. He completed his blind and the flop comes Q-8-5. Mike bet $120K and the other player raised putting Mike all-in with his call. The other player showed 8-6o for a pair of 8’s against mike’s pair of Q’s. The turn didn’t help either player and the river was a 6. Mike was knocked out of the tournament when his pair of Queens was beat by two pair. A three quarter million dollar difference. We discussed some of the details of his troubles and how he got into this trap. Although it’s not a simple story, it is one I have had to deal with before when a close family member was caught up in a very similar, well laid trap. Mike was befriended by a friend of a friend more than a year before his arrest. Over the course of the ensuing months they became best friends. His new friend decided one day he needed some coke to impress his “Mafioso style buddies” and leaned on Mike and his money to provide the drug. Mike found the drugs and when he handed them over he was immediately arrested and offered a deal to walk away if he would finger his source. 
Mike refused to do so and was promised he would do some long, hard time. Mike has never revealed the source of the drugs. I believe if the source was known, they would be another friend that is neither a major or minor distributor of illegal drugs, instead someone else doing a favor for a friend. This story is all too familiar and I’m beginning to believe it is a standard mode of operation among the narcs. Basically, if you can’t catch a real drug dealer then create one. The undercover cop that befriended Mike and the narc that trapped my relative spent considerable time and public money trying to arrest a drug dealer. In both cases there just wasn’t anyone at the end of the case so to justify their time and expenditures they had to create and arrest someone for drug dealing. That is why Mike is now in the Clark County Jail right now, to justify the thousands of dollars of public money spent on the undercover narc’s investigation. This guy was well paid to spend more than a year being Mike’s best friend. He got to live the high life without making a contribution to anything, community or otherwise. I have to keep reminding myself that many a narc is a former drug dealer that was too dumb to avoid getting caught and made a deal to join “team narc” (regular paycheck and benefits) and rat out their former buddies, the bad guys.
I will visit Mike at the county lock-up and check on his well being often during the next six months. I know how lonely and depressing confinement can be for anyone, especially someone as sociable as Mike Matusow. I would not be at all surprised if someday someone wins a major tournament and when asked where they learned to play such great poker they will say, ”I learned the game when I was in jail in Las Vegas with Mike Matusow, a champion poker player.”
The drug laws have changed here in Nevada in 2001 and the possession of marijuana in certain instances is not as harsh as I reported. One of our astute readers was kind enough to tell me of my error and point me to the revised laws. Thanks Daniel!
Comments
I like watching Mike play poker, and however you put a spin on it, what you report is all heresay. Only Mike knows what happened and why heis in this position, but the bottom line is, he was dealing drugs and I think he should do his time.
Posted by: John | October 7, 2004 06:08 AM
Not to be a dick, but seeing Matusow go absolutely mental against Fossilman did raise some questions with me. Sure, Mike looks like a very passionate player, but it was a bit out of control. It felt kinda uncomfortable seeing that.
This article does raise an interesting question: are drugs being used by players? Sitting long long hours on a table, has its toll on the human body. Some drugs here and there could ease the pain right? Should a drug check be enforced for WSOP Final Table?
Posted by: huphtur | October 7, 2004 06:33 AM
No one at all thinks this has anything to do with the $100k + he owes his backers? Is the LVPD narcs division really pinning their hopes of catching a Las Vegas drug lord on Mike Matusow? I agree with the assistant DA. The whole friend of a friend thing seems a little far fetched...
Posted by: Art | October 14, 2004 01:19 AM
how hasn't sold drugs?
Posted by: John | November 9, 2004 08:35 PM
I'm friends with Mike so I'm biased, but the assumptions some of these posters are making about the facts are simply wrong.
It's ridiculous that the government would have someone befriend Mike for more than half a year then build a case around him getting the "friend" some drugs as a favor. But that's what our government did.
The original target was a higher profile (outside of poker) guy, a doctor. They caught the doctor and he offered up Mike. That the doctor had no evidence or first-hand knowledge is obvious: rather than charge Mike, they took the doctor's word that Mike was connected with everyone in the LV drug trade.
The government bit and had a cop go undercover and pose as Mike's friend. In defense of the prosecutor, the doc must have told a very persuasive story. The doc didn't claim that Mike was himself a big-time dealer but if they caught him, he was so tied in that they'd get their big fish.
It was a complete fabrication. Mike was getting clean by then. That's why the "friend" couldn't find anything to bust Mike for during a period of many months.
Imagine the government's position: they just let go some doctor who they caught with a bunch of bad stuff, and spent all this time and have nothing. Is it unreasonable to think they'd have the cop/friend move things along by getting Mike back into drugs then hold that over his head to extract the names of the real bad guys? It's completely dirty ends-justify-the-means business, but someone must have thought Mike was a dirty guy and this would just make it easier to wrap things up.
But Mike wasn't a dirty guy. He had no names. He was a dopey recreational user who got clean.
How strong do you think the government's case was if they could have put him away for 20 years and they let him plead out to 6 months? Especially when there was no dispute that he did what he give drugs to the undercover agent/friend for money.
Posted by: Mike Craig | November 10, 2004 11:10 PM
"But Mike wasn't a dirty guy. He had no names. He was a dopey recreational user who got clean."
this comment in itself explains why he is imprisoned. If mike never got involved in this "recreational drug" then he wouldn't be there. There is no excuse for this, mike got what was coming to him.
Posted by: Dan | March 5, 2005 05:21 PM
Anybody who has watched Matusow can see that he has got some type of personality disorder. He is a drug dealer who happens to also be a poker player. Until the courts get tougher with the Matusow types the problem will just get worse. He should have gotten a much longer sentence than he did. I'm sure we haven't heard the last of Matusow and illegal drugs.
Posted by: Don | March 15, 2005 01:47 AM
Wpt april 6,
I laughed my ass off when that fucker got sucked out on, he looked like he was gonna cry.
Serves him right after that suckout earlier
Posted by: random troll | April 7, 2005 03:46 AM
Who cares if he was or wasn't a dealer? I suppose there is a dirtier world where everything is relative. But in my world if you do drugs or buy drugs you should be punished. I don't think many people will care about the motives of police officers. Besides we're talking about the biggest asshole on the poker tour. Its real hard to muster any sympathy for him. I used to hate Helmuth's attitude but next to this guy Phil is a sweet man.
Oh and another thing.. you don't get clean. You either ARE clean or you AREN'T. He obviously wasn't clean because he couldn't fight the demon that day and made a life changing mistake.
Posted by: nobody interesting | April 7, 2005 04:26 PM
The people here that make negative comments about Mike. Yep, sometimes he ACTS LIKE a dickhead, but he is basically a decent guy. His actions you see on TV is an ACT for the most part.
as far as what happened to Mike in the Drug case, the person who started this thread basically has it right except Mike was NOT completly innocent, and if the "setup" to go and grab drugs for this undercover cop was the only thing, then we could have fought this.
But I will not go into this other issue it is no one's business. Mike knows he was wrong in this
Now I ought to know what is my last name?
I am his brother so I know the facts which I will not get into too much. I have read the whole case file several times and know the exaction of the case which again is no one's business but our family's and who Mike wishes to share it with.
For the morons who think Mike will engage in drug use again, err no he learned his lesson. He has been clean for 2 years now.
Mike was not a heavy drug user, Basically he was like allot of the poker world, Living too fast and partying too hard. I wld not call Mike a drug dealer by any means. In the poker world, people like to act like "Bigshots" which includes doing people "favors" all the time from bankrolling other players to occasionally "hooking up their freinds" with small amounts of "Drugs" Mike never made a dime in this nor ever tried to.
I can name other guys that play(AND ARE WELL KNOWN) that still engage in drug use, some heavy and One I know if who did a bit of braindamage to himself from using "E",
But I will not name anyone because that is their business.
As far as Mike having a personality disorder, heh, no, he is pro poker player and many of them are a bit nuts. Most people who do this for a living is not what society would call "normal"
Meanwhile you guys watch them on TV all the time ans eat it up. Now you want to spread BS gossip? GET A LIFE AND BE a great player like Mike then you can have your say and it will mean something!!
Some of you are not exactly the sharpest cookies in the stack.
IT IS AN ACT that many of these guys put on. That is how they take the money from some of you "stone cold morons" in live games as I said before.
Mike was just trying to get under "Fossilmans" skin was all and apologized later to him. Meanwhile Karma got Mike and Fossiman basically did him in last yeats tourney.
That is why they smoke the rest of you in live games and make a good living at what they do.
Most of you do not have a clue about these people you see on TV. You think you do but I know for a fact you do not..
When I see some of you guys playing for 20 hours at a time in a touney then Ill respect the "suck out" comments.
Those who can do, those who cannot make stupid comments.
Peace
Posted by: Scott Matusow | April 12, 2005 08:37 AM
The same thing is happening in pool. But it started a long time ago. There is more money in poker, but with pool there is not a lot of money any more. Many a top pool player has had problems with the law. The players can't make a good living at pool (when is the last time you saw men's pool on TV) without supplementing their income by gambling or sales of some sorts.
Posted by: kfellmy | April 24, 2005 02:03 PM
"If you keep fucking with me, I'm gonna bust you!" -Matusow, to Greg Raymer, WSOP 2004
Posted by: Joey Patone | April 28, 2005 05:24 PM
Mike do the time and then come out and prove all these Dick heads wrong who posted negative comments about you. I wish you the best. I've seen you play and your stlye is your style. You've been successful with that type of play so keep it up, it makes for a lot of excitement. To your brother: let Mike know that there's alot of people thinking about him and praying for him. To all the people who posted negative comments, you're all jealous haters who wished they possesed a fraction of his poker talent.
Take Care
Posted by: John | June 1, 2005 05:00 PM
While I don't keep in much contact with Mike anymore, for those of you that think his behavior is because of drugs, you are wrong. I have known Mike since 2nd grade. He was always a spazz.
Mike, I wish you the best in your future.
Posted by: Scott Fisher | June 8, 2005 03:09 AM
Mike is a very nice and gracious guy; he doesn't go around pushing drugs at all, he appreciates life and he used to frequent cool spots and give people opportunities to sit at his booths etc where he'd share liquor bottles, or even pick up your drink for you.
i've been to parties he hosted at his house where he didn't have dogs sniffing everyone who came in to the place or have guests walk through metal detectors, he just got caught up by letting people around him without screening everyone he met for 2 hours before befriending them.
he'd give you the shirt off his back and his last beer. the dude is righteous, if you never got to kick it with him, it's your loss.
i can certify you this, the dude's got fever pitch emotions, when he's happy he's the first person to tell you he's stoked. trust me, dude is not caught up in trafficing drugs.
PJ--Vegas
Posted by: pelepicasso | June 9, 2005 02:47 PM
He is a loser who got caught. No matter his personality, he is a loser. If he didn't get caught, we would still be calling him a loser. He is entertaining, sure, so is Barry Bonds, but they both are losers who do drugs.
Posted by: fatman | July 13, 2005 11:42 AM
whoever made the comment saying "You either ARE clean or you AREN'T" is a worthless idiot and needs to die in a fire
Posted by: jehovia | July 14, 2005 06:10 PM
Alcohol-related problems kill thousands of people each year. To point at one drug and say that it is more immoral or dirty than another is too simplistic. Most American's are idiotic children who mindlessly suckle at the tit of white protestant anal propaganda. Remember "refer madness"? Prison time for drug users is idiotic and counter productive. Rehab and shitloads of community service is far more affective than crime school. Oh, and if you drink coffee or soda, then you are doing a drug.
Posted by: Paul Reeves | July 15, 2005 06:43 PM
Just want to say Mike is a great pokerplayer and I enjoy watching him - even though he was pretty mean to Raymer at last years event. But we need him to make poker more fun to watch! (only Deweys wouldn't make the game a whole lot to watch)
regards from a guy who sometimes goes on a tilt at the poker table.
Posted by: Vegard Villmones | July 15, 2005 07:05 PM
mike was setup and caught messing around with drugs, period. everybody needs to lighten up. the war against drugs is a total mess and does nothing but waste money. maybe it has created lots of jobs for people but other than that it does no good.
Posted by: dean | July 15, 2005 08:18 PM
people do drugs. does not mean for sure they are a bad person and should be punished.if everybody that did drugs were to get punished, then most of people in the US would have done time for drug use somepoint in there life.
Posted by: dean | July 15, 2005 08:22 PM
give the guy a break, you are doing any good by putting the man down. you guys that put him down don't even know him
Posted by: ken | July 15, 2005 08:24 PM
Reading this story from Europe it's hard to believe how hypocritical and myopic some Americans can be. It's a well known fact that many people in the highest echelons of society, people most of you perceive as role models, use drugs recreationally and those who partake are not limited to your movie star heros, but also to CEOs of the biggest corporations. Still common now, cocaine was done by almost everyone with money in the 80's and 90's.
To advocate punishing people for doing drugs is strange to say the least in view of the problems you have with legal drugs such as alcohol and pills.
The result of such ignorant perspective is that American jails became so overpopulated they became private enterprises with vested interests in having as many as possible incarcerated and millions of lives are ruined for victimless ctimes.
As for Mike Matusow, I'm glad he cleaned up, but even if he didn't, that's his business. To al but the most ignorant viewers it's quite obvious that most of his acts are part strategy and part requested by the producers because that kind of stuff makes good TV.
Fact is, he is a world class player and I sincerely hope he will win the WSOP and make you neoconservative rednecks cry in anguish as you cannot even beat a $2/$4 game on Party.
Posted by: prospero | July 15, 2005 09:29 PM
Take your liberal Euroviews and jam them up you ass.
Here are the facts in America. Opressive Puritanical laws crush our spirit. Conservative evangelical politicans pander to their voting block by promising to get tough on crime. Cocaine is good. Matusow did something wrong, got caught and paid the price.
None of this changes the fact that Matusow is a good poker player, a fantastic character for televised poker - love him or hate him you are going to watch him. He is good for poker popularity and that is good for the game.
Posted by: Cocacolakid | July 16, 2005 03:38 AM
Congrgulations on your 05WSOP finish Mike!!!
Posted by: Robert | July 16, 2005 11:09 AM
There is nothing strange about a high-stakes gambler being involved in drugs. These guys are willing to bet a million in chips with a pair of 4's into 3 overcards in an Omaha game. The more dysfuntional you are in poker, the better you are. Remember Stuey?
Posted by: Catfish | July 18, 2005 02:20 PM
I just watched mikey at the 2005 wsop play some of the most incredible and entertaing poker I have ever seen. He is an amzing player with a ton of heart. I think we will see many more great things from mike in the future. I believe he has overcome his problems and the sky is the limit for him now.
Posted by: sean fleming | July 18, 2005 07:30 PM
I want to address a comment made here as follows;
"While I don't keep in much contact with Mike anymore, for those of you that think his behavior is because of drugs, you are wrong. I have known Mike since 2nd grade. He was always a spazz.
Mike, I wish you the best in your future."
You my bud are a flat out liar.
We moved to Vegas in 1978 when Mike was in 5th grade so how is it you have known Mike "since 2nd Grade?"
Please, at least if you are going to lie, make it beleivable. There is no one that Mike knows from our days in Tarzana California, when Mike was in "The 2nd grade"
Posted by: Scott Matusow | July 23, 2005 09:17 AM
oh man would you naive people cry if you found out the truth about which people are doing coke.
Posted by: some guy | September 5, 2005 06:42 PM
that last post by 'some guy' is the truest of them all.
Posted by: JDM | September 6, 2005 11:15 PM
While I don't condone illegal activity I also know there are many many things which go on out of view in the name of justice served.
It would not surprise me in the least bit if Mike became a pawn in the undercover game of cat and mouse. It happens every single day of the year in cities and counites all over these United States.
When you have officers who are bent on building personal bragging rights and a legacy to to boost their personal ego's you can count on untold stories of questionable conduct during investigations.
You have to remember much of this is fueled by the fact those very officers are protected by immunity from prosecution in many circumstances.
As for Mike, pull off a comeback and show them all they are wrong about you and your past. I have all the confidence in the world you can do that and do that with great success as well. Hey ever thought about doing a T.V. reality poker show? (wink wink) No offense man but you could become the Donald Trump of T.V. poker.
Posted by: 3CardMonty | September 23, 2005 05:51 PM
hey mike, you got fucked. suck it up bro, need to see you back at the tables. enjoy your personality and your spirit keep the faith
Posted by: lindburg | October 16, 2005 11:09 PM
I'm sorry to hear about Mike's bust, and agree with all the people who point out how ridiculous our drug laws are in the USA.
Was Mike really a risk to society? This is Las Vegas we are talking about people.
The "War on Drugs" is destroying our society. Kids who dare experiment with a drug are having their lives ruined. People point fingers and call others "drug users" while they are popping prescription pills, drinking alcohol, drinking coffee, etc.
By the way, it's well known that even our President was a former cokehead. The man who founded modern psychiatry (Sigmund Freud) was another well known cokehead.
Posted by: BSphenom | October 18, 2005 09:43 PM
Mike Matusow is the shit.....hands down the most entertaining player in poker today. I never even knew he got arrested until today and that just made me like the guy even more.
Posted by: Espo | October 20, 2005 03:07 AM