Texas Mike has been making the headlines anytime he’s shown up to play poker recently, as his creative playing style and willingness to gamble for any amount have made him an instant legend in the poker community.
Following his swingy appearance on the recent HCL Million Dollar Game, Mike has now announced he will be playing every WSOP event he possibly can, regardless of the buyin and the game in question.
The 2025 WSOP schedule will include 100 bracelet events, and if everything goes to play, we could see Texas Mike enter well over 50 of them and fire multiple bullets wherever possible.
A two-time WSOP bracelet winner already, Mike certainly has a good chance to extend his WSOP record if he puts up the kind of volume he expects to.
Recreational Player or a Poker Pro?
Michael Moncek, better known in the poker circles as Texas Mike, describes himself as a recreational poker player. Yet, his love for poker surpasses that of most poker pros, and his commitment to creating a legacy in the game is beyond comparison.
Mike played his first poker events back in 2016, and has won two WSOP bracelets and four WSOPC rings since, along with over $5,000,000 in cash prizes.
More recently, Mike has been playing in some exceptionally high-stakes cash games as well, while simultaneously grinding the high-stakes tournament circuit and winning events on the popular PokerGO Tour to add more accolades to his poker resume.
Mike’s day job remains in the packaging industry, where he apparently received a huge stake in a major company following his father’s passing. Yet, it seems like his true interests are in poker, as he continues to spend as much of his time as possible playing the game.
At this time, Moncek still continues to call himself a recreational poker player, but his results and the hours spent at the felt certainly suggest a more serious approach to the game.
How Will Texas Mike Fare at the WSOP?
Mike’s most recent Tweet, aimed at the upcoming $25k Fantasy WSOP Draft, suggested that he will play every possible WSOP event, and possibly even multitable at times.
Given his incredibly aggressive playing style, there is no doubt that this will lead to many stacks lost in the early levels, but also many big pots going his way and numerous deep runs.
From a perspective of sheer ROI, such an aggressive approach to the Series may not be the most prudent, especially given the fact Texas Mike is not a master of all the games played at the WSOP.
Yet, from a perspective of chasing after WSOP bracelets and POY points, this is probably the best way to go about things, as each new bullet fired gives him a new chance for a deep run.
All things considered, we are more than likely to see Texas Mike make quite a few deep runs, and probably a few final tables as well, at this year’s WSOP.
If you are playing a Fantasy WSOP game with your friends, or taking part in one of the many online competitions, Texas Mike could easily be the dark horse you have been looking for.
Barring health issues, which are unfortunately possible when Mike is in question, we are likely to see an epic WSOP performance from one of the most entertaining poker players out there.
Daniel Negreanu Expects a Big Summer for Texas Mike
In response to Mike’s recent Tweet regarding his WSOP plans, Daniel Negreanu responded suggesting that the player could go for as high as 64 points at this year’s $25k Fantasy WSOP Draft.
Given the overall budget given to each team in the Draft is 200 points, that would mean Mike will be one of the most expensive players in this year’s competition.
Poker greats like Negreanu himself, Shaun Deeb, or Phil Hellmuth, are often priced at close to 100 points. A price of 64 points would put Mike in the ranks with the likes of Chance Kornuth, Chris Brewer, Nick Schulman, and other elite players.
Dnegs’ predictions, of course, are based off Mike’s recent results at the PGT events and his plans to possibly play more events and fire more bullets than any other player in this year’s WSOP.
With the online events no longer counting for much in the Fantasy Draft as of last year, such a schedule would indeed see Mike become a favorite to become one of the MVPs of this year’s competition.
Two Weeks Left Until the 2025 WSOP
The WSOP is around the corner, with just a couple of weeks separating us from the first “shuffle up and deal” of the season.
If social media action is anything to go by, it seems like few players want it more than Texas Mike at the moment, as he has made his excitement for the 2025 WSOP more than obvious.
Mike’s story could be one of the defining ones at this year’s Series, as his outstanding tournament performances in recent months give him a real chance to compete for WSOP bracelets and even the POY title with some luck.
Stay tuned for more updates on the story as the WSOP starts and a full coverage of all the most interesting stories surrounding this year’s Series at Pokerati.
