Check-raising the Devil

by Mike Matusow, Amy Calistri, Tim Lavalli

1. Big Poker The super popular and always entertaining Mike "The Mouth" Matusow is a huge fan favorite from his many implosions, explosions, and huge successes at the poker table on national TV.



2. Fascinating This book has it high stakes gambling, drugs, jail, psychotic episodes and debilitating depression and mental illness, plus the depths of despair and heights of victory.



3. Very High Mike Matusow is one of the most recognizable and followed players in poker today. Yahoo's online search engine identifies over 1.1 million websites that provide content about Mike Matusow. His weekly online video show "The Mouthpiece" at CardPlayer.com, averages over 2,000 viewers per day.



4. Super Popular Poker is the third most watched sport on cable television, behind auto racing and football.



5. Secondary Market The National Institute of Mental Health estimates there are 5.7 million people in the U.S. that have bipolar disorder and the CDC estimates 1.6 million elementary school children have been diagnosed ADHD.

Get Ready for a Wild Ride…

Hang on tight as Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, poker player extraordinaire, takes you with him on a breathtaking, true-life roller coaster ride from his humble beginnings in a trailer park to a rock and roll lifestyle full of hot women, sex, wild drug-filled parties and million-dollar wins and losses. Yet behind the glamour and glory of his high-stakes poker career lurked the flip a person torn between two debilitating mental illnesses?—?bipolar disorder and ADHD. To dig himself out of depression and suicidal despair, Matusow turned to dangerous street drugs to self-medicate a problem he didn’t understand, and spiraled deeper into the darker world of addiction, police narcotic stings, and jail time.

In this revealing and tumultuous autobiography, the combustible Matusow holds nothing back. You’ll get a mouthful of the man behind the infamous Matusow Meltdowns seen on national TV.

Riveting, exhilarating, sexy, sometimes shocking and always fascinating, this voyeur’s look into the world of high-stakes poker, mental illness, and ultimately, Matusow’s inspiring redemption, will keep you glued to your seat until the very last page!

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Memoir

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 12, 2009

Reviews

[CV Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike Matusow writes in stark detail about his life - the good and the bad. It's a wild ride through the perils of addiction, the heights of poker stardom and from being broke to being rich in Vegas. I enjoyed the story and even though the writing was rough at times, it felt like a story told from the heart.

[Mike Howerton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. A great look into the life of one of the top poker players in the game as he fights his own personal demons. Gave some interesting insight into some things we saw Matusow do on ESPN. Always been a fan of Matusow and this book just made me a bigger fan.

[John Grinzivich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good quick read. Mike's tells his life stories of the swings of a professional poker player addicted to drugs and money. A good read for any Vegas poker player and all gamblers.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book

Mike is a funny guy. He genuinely seems to be a good person at heart. He’s also a degenerate gambler who has made a lot of money playing poker and lost a lot of money on most of his other betting. One of my favorite stories in the book is when he wins 250k in a tournament right before having to go to jail for six months. He sets 50k aside for his bills while he is in jail then gives his buddy 200k to place sports bets on his behalf while he is in jail. Under Mike’s direction he lost the 200k in 3 months of jail and came out of jail practically broke.

I do think Mike is a good person though who is just doing his best to make it in the world.

[Donny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matusow is open and honest in this revealing recollection of his rise, fall, and rebirth, both in his poker career and in his personal life. The stories inside help to make up for the less-than-perfect craft in this one, and the short-but-sweet chapters make for an easily-digestible read.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope he’s doing okay

[Eduardo Rolon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s simply a fact of life: money doesn’t like people who get rich for the first time.

Matusow, Mike. Check-Raising the Devil (p. 9). Cardoza Publishing. Kindle Edition.

[Scott Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story told with stunning honesty. Mike is certainly flawed but aren't we all and I really appreciated him sharing his interesting story.

[Peter Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike Matusow is completely vulnerable throughout this book. He's a little emotional at times but still an entertaining read.

[Jari Pirhonen]

Autobiography of professional poker player Mike "��The Mouth"� Matusow. It's said that becoming pro in anything requires not only talent, but also 10.000 hours of practise. Poker seems to be no exception. With Matusow poker was more of obsession, though, with high highs and low lows, including loads of money, drugs, parties, depression and even jail time. Matusow's explanations of some of the most significant poker hands he played were interesting read.

[Joanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book because my husband is a poker fan and recommended it. The writing was pitifully poor, and Mike Matusow is not really all that likeable of a guy. For me, the only interesting parts were when we got to go "behind the scenes" with whole groups of professional poker players and thus got a break from the relentless whining of Mike himself.

[Chad Harberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unvarnished and somewhat embellished look at the life of professional poker player Mike Matusow.

Although the author spends a little too much time trying to gain revenge on people he thinks have wronged him (an ex-gf, an undercover officer) the book reads as a poker version of 8 Mile.

[Tyler Godwyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read. Giving an insight into the man known for his brutality and showing how this personality formed. An awesome book for any poker player to read about the Las Vegas lifestyle with all the swings.

[Tim Lavalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well since I wrote it, I loved it!

[Sebastian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im no poker player but I think this book shows how rough and sad life can be when it's ruled by cash.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! An epic roller coaster ride. I lived vicariously through the pages of this book and loved every minute.

[Mike Everleth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of poker books, but Mike is such a fascinating character in that world, this was a must read. His co-authors do a fantastic job capturing his voice percectly.

[TJ Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best poker bios I've read. It's a fast, fascinating reading of a likable villain emerging from a train wreck that he caused himself.

[Alan Wiltshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great honest portrayal of the ups and downs of playing poker professionally...

[Sarah DiMento · Rating 2 out of 5]

My boyfriend made me read it