Mike Matusow Wins the 2005 WSOP: Tournament of Champions.

[See also: results for the 2005 WSOP Tournament of Champions]

Mike Matusow is the World Series of Poker 2005 Tournament of Champions' Champion! Mike outlasted a field of 119 WSOP Champions to win this prestigious tournament and he picked up $1,000,000 in first place money.

The final table that began on Tuesday afternoon finally found its champion almost twelve hours later on an early Wednesday morning. This bunch of poker's toughest was invited to come play in a $2,000,000 freeroll and they all came expecting to leave as the champion. I was there for all three days and know first hand how badly each player wanted to win. All of the best players and biggest egos came expecting to leave as the champion. I got to witness some top flight poker that would go for long periods with no major mistake, textbook perfect poker.

Mike Matusow kept himself and the crowd laughing.
The final table was a dream team affair with each end anchored by two outspoken tough-as-they-come professionals, Phil Hellmuth opposite Mike Matusow. Claiming some of the real estate between the two was the usually quiet, but equally tough playing Hoyt Corkins and that's the final three list. Hellmuth was the first to go after they played three way for over three hours. Mike and Hoyt then went heads with Mike having an approximate 2-3 chip advantage; which, he gave to Hoyt in one hand. Was there a trademark Matusow Meltdown? Was there probably going to be a timeout for the guy that holds the WSOP timeout record? Not tonight, a new and improved Mike Matusow came to play this table. Mike never lost his sense of wanting to win this tournament and he still had about forty percent of the total chips. He not only wanted to win this one, he needed this win to cap a roller coaster year in his life. Mike truly has been on an emotional ride that went from the low point of his life to tonight's new upper benchmark. He got paid a million dollars and owns the bragging rights of being the best of the best poker players. This win was a very strong moment in Mike's so overcome with emotions he was often speechless, a rare thing for "the Mouth." I was there for his low point and I was there this early morning for the highest point.

This will be the most interesting poker show you will see this year. Mike not only plays like a pro, he entertains the crowd like a pro. He kept the table and the audience laughing, booing and clapping for most of the night. This show is scheduled for Christmas Eve, December 24, 2005 on ESPN, the broadcast home of they WSOP. I will post additional articles for this, the most entertaining final table of 2005.

Congratulations Mike, you were definitely the best on this night.