What you see isn't necessarily what you get, at least when it comes to poker star Mike "The Mouth" Matusow.

Some people know only the guy they see on TV and many of them think Matusow is a just plain jerk, or, as one writer put it, asshole.

Others, including "The Mouth" himself, swear he's the greatest guy on earth -- as long as you don't mess with him.

Unfortunately for World Poker Tour TV producers, Matusow was eliminated in 48th position from the Doyle Brunson North American Poker Classic at Bellagio on Sunday as the field was whittled from an original 583 to 33.

He won't be at the Finals Table when tape rolls Tuesday night.

Matusow is one of the highly popular Travel Channel series' main atrractions and Sin City is his turf.

Colorful and controversial, Matusow pulls in viewers much like Marshall Holman did during the Professional Bowlers Tour's ABC-TV heydays.

Mere mention of his name ignites verbal warfare.

Like Hillary, you love him or hate him.

There's no in-between.

Nothing perks up ratings like a little poker table trash talk between Matusow and fellow Las Vegan Daniel Negreanu, who remained in contention entering Monday's action.

Occasional outbursts of profanity bring punishments that ultimately cost Matusow and he's consciously working on controlling them.

Much of the swagger is genuine, though, and he says that stems from being bullied as a youth.

Matusow knows he'll probably always have a "chip" on his shoulder, while "Mikey" acknowledges much of his on-camera persona is orchestrated.

"Mikey can be a lot of fun because he really likes joking around," Matusow said during a Sunday break before he busted out.

"But I only make fun of people I know; I don't try to hurt somebody I don't know.

"I do it with my friends, guys I know can take it.

"Don't start something with me, though, because I'll needle you right back."

Matusow's remarks are targeted -- no secret in pokerdom -- at 2004 World Series of Poker champion Greg Raymer.

The two engaged in nasty verbal repartee during the latter stages of that event and bitterness still lingers in Matusow's "mouth."

ESPN duly recorded their word duel, and Matusow has no regrets.

"People don't understand how he came after me," "The Mouth" said, still pleading his case 2 1/2 years later.

He makes it clear there's no lost love between the two, who currently don't have to deal with each other because Raymer is among a group of players boycotting WPT events.

He may be a tough cookie on the outside, but Matusow insists he's marshmallow inside.

The hurt little boy still comes out and "Mikey" even has been lensed shedding tears.

Watching him play poker for a couple hours is like watching a tennis ball bounce back and forth -- hardly boring, just hard to follow.

Matusow pops up and down, always seeking side action and darting from table to table to catch what's going on around him: a lady massaging Jeff Schulman's neck at one, a very sexy-looking Evelyn Ng hugging a male admirer at another.

Matusow, who was attired in a blue jeans and a white Full Tilt Poker t-shirt and cap on Sunday, has been diagnosed with attention deficiency disorder.

He admits to having used illegal as well prescription drugs, ranging from speed and ecstasy to Ritalin.

On this day, though, he's pumped on pure adreneline and consumed by his passion for poker; purple blood sprints through his veins.

Now 37, Matusow was born in California, but grew up in Vegas.

Video poker machines introduced him to the game when he was 11 and by age 18, Matusow was dealing at a local casino -- and stealing from his mother's purse to play himself.

He acknowledges he attended Gamblers Anonymous meetings at one point.

Matusow was in his 20s when he became convinced his destiny was to play profesionally.

He was a Sam's Town sensation before he began to pursue his ultimate dream.

Matusow drew attention in 1998 when he paid a third of Scotty Nguyen's $10,000 entry fee into a 1998 World Series of Poker satellite event; Nguyen rewarded him with $333,333 -- a third of the stake -- when he won the title.

Omaha is Matusow's specialty and he has won a pair of WSOP gold bracelets in events featuring that game.

His highest WSOP main-event finish came in 2001, when eventual champion Juan Carlos Mortenson successfuly bluffed him and Matusow finished sixth; he had a higher payday when he placed ninth behind Joe Hachem in 2005.

A short time later, Matusow collected his second $1 million paycheck in a couple-month span when he won the Tournament of Champions.

"That was the greatest," he said.

"To be able to come back like that after getting cold-decked ..

"I really thought I was going to win the World Series that year."

The Bellagio pre-Christmas Tournament brings many players home for the holidays, but -- bah humbug! --don't expect to find lighted reindeer in the front yard of Matusow's 4,000-square foot suburban Henderson home.

"I'm not a holiday kind of guy," he said in his best Scrooge impersonation.

"We (his family) take care of each other, but we do it our way."

Matusow also shares that while relations with his parents aren't exactly frosty, they've chilled since his mother led cheers for him at the 2005 WSOP.

"We're still close, it's just that now we talk maybe twice a week instead of everyday," he said, adding he didn't know what, if anything, the clan had planned for Christmas.

Lynda Collins is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League. Read all of her articles at http://www.procappers.com/Lynda_Collins.htm Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynda_Collins