Mike Matusow Makes It His Mission To Put An End To Max Late Reg

by Mario Alfonsi  |  Published on Nov 10, 2021  |  Updated on Nov 10, 2021

• “The Mouth” slams WSOP Main Event for allowing max late reg
• Four-time bracelet winner thinks max late reg is a disgrace to tournament poker
• Numerous poker pros defend the practice

Maximum late registration has become an increasingly popular feature in tournaments, but Mike “The Mouth” Matusow thinks it’s destroying the integrity of tournament poker.

Max late reg happens when a player decides to enter a tournament at the end of the registration period.

This way, they no longer need to play the entire Day 1 session, bringing themselves closer to the money. While those who late register play with a short starting stack, all they need to do is to double up once or steal the blinds once or twice to make the money.

Players use this as a strategy to increase their chances of taking home some cash. But the idea doesn’t sit well with a number of poker pros, including Matusow.

Matusow who has four WSOP bracelets and $9.8 million in prize money under his name said people who support the concept around max late reg are “selfish“. He is particularly critical of the 2021 WSOP Main Event structure wherein players are permitted to buy in two levels into Day 2 with 50 big blinds. This enables players to avoid playing the full seven days to make it to the final table. They could finish in the money by spending less than two days at the table.

Matusow has described this as the “biggest disgrace” in tournament history and promised to utilize his platform to eliminate max late reg. But not everyone agrees with him.

Poker Community Reacts

Poker pro and Solve for Why founder Matt Berkey has questioned Matusow’s stance on the practice, asking him why he didn’t max late reg when he knew it would give him an edge over those who registered on time. Others defended the practice, saying it helps boost prize pools, which benefits players in the end.

Those who support Matusow’s views agree that max late reg only benefit the rich players, while those with limited bankroll can’t afford to do it. Matusow said ending max late reg altogether will be his life goal as he believes tournament poker should be about providing a level playing field for all players.

Matusow is among the 10 finalists for the 2021 Poker Hall of Fame.