Mike Matusow captures Tournament of Champions chip lead

By Case Keefer (contact)

Tuesday, June 29, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

Mike "The Mouth" Matusow hasn't enjoyed this summer's World Series of Poker as much as usual.

Matusow, a Las Vegas professional, was at the Rio nearly every day for the first three weeks of the series, but failed to cash in any of the first 37 events. He finally broke through in last week's $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em World Championship when he finished 26th for $21,665.

Since then, Matusow says he feels reinvigorated. That was on display Monday when he climbed to the top of the leader board in the Tournament of Champions, the World Series of Poker's self-proclaimed All-Star Game, with 85,000 chips.

"I played fantastic today and played great yesterday," Matusow said. "I'm getting my confidence back day after day. It's been rough because the cards have been going sour for me all month."

The Tournament of Champions started with 27 top poker professionals who were either voted into the competition by fans or given an exemption. After two days of play, the field was trimmed to 17 players.

"The Godfather of Poker" Doyle Brunson, 2009 Main Event Champion Joe Cada, poker pro turned television analyst Mike Sexton and poker pro turned author Dan Harrington were among Monday's casualties.

Las Vegas pro Huck Seed, who owns five World Series of Poker bracelets and won the 1996 Main Event, is second behind Matusow with 73,000 chips.

"I didn't even want to play today," Seed said. "I'm kind of sick and didn't get very good sleep or play very well."

All the players who lurk behind Matusow and Seed are renowned. But that doesn't bother Matusow.

After years on the poker circuit, he said he knew all of the remaining players' games well and would rather play against the likes of Johnny Chan and Phil Hellmuth than a table full of random amateurs or Internet players.

Matusow said he was starting to loathe playing in the bigger World Series events because of some players' attitudes.

"They really don't respect the game," Matusow said. "They are just Internet players who raise, raise, raise like lunatics. When you're playing against great players, everyone understands the values of hands and they respect other players. The person who plays the best and stays focused is going to win this."

They'll also need to stay patient, as the remaining players will not meet again until 7 p.m. Saturday night. Because the World Series of Poker agreed to work the Tournament of Champions around everyone's normal playing schedule, that was the first available time.

They will play down to a final table Saturday night before finishing the tournament on the Fourth of July. At least one player was thrilled with the arrangement.

"I didn't play well today, but I'll be feeling a lot better by that time," Seed said.

A good finish would also help boost Seed's spirits. The free-roll tournament will pay nine players, with first place earning $500,000. Second is good for $250,000 and third will take home $100,000. Fourth through ninth will each get $25,000.