Mike McDonald is a Canadian professional poker player who made his first live-event cash in 2007. In the first 5 👌 years, Mike cashed 32 times, made 20 final tables, won 4 events, was the youngest player to ever win an 👌 EPT title, and earned overR$4 million. During that time, he has also been a successful online poker player, earning overR$1 👌 million.
Mike was born on September 11, 1989 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, where he played and taught chess as a teen. 👌 He was introduced to poker at a summer math camp, which led toR$2 games among 14-year-olds. At age 15, he 👌 made aR$100 deposit in an online poker site where he started playing micro-limit games as \\\”Timex.\\\” Working his way up 👌 in stakes, he migrated to playing tournaments, and by the time he was ready to graduate high school, he had 👌 built his online bankroll toR$100,000. Over the years, more wins followed, including aR$330,000 score for winning an event at Paradise 👌 Poker. Since Black Friday, Mike plays on PokerStars where in November 2011, he won The BiggerR$100K Guaranteed event forR$48,502.
After graduating 👌 high school, Mike attended the University of Waterloo to pursue a math degree, but his real passion was to be 👌 a professional poker player. Putting his education on hold, he started travelling to play in the live-events that 18-year-olds were 👌 allowed to play, like the European Poker Tour (EPT), PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), and the Aussie Millions.
In November 2007, Mike 👌 made his first live-event cash for £4,000 when he finished 3rd in the £500 NLHE event at The Big One 👌 Croydon, London. The next month, he was at the EPT in Prague, where he finished 14th in the €4,700 NLHE 👌 Main Event to earn €20,200.
Proving that his online skills translated well to live events, in 2008, Mike cashed 5 times, 👌 made 4 final tables, and became the youngest player to win an EPT event. To start his year, Mike cashed 👌 3 times at the Aussie Millions, earning A$85,920 for his runner-up finish in the A$1,000 NLHE, winning the A$1,000 PokerPro 👌 NLHE for A$ 33,950, and taking 8th in the A$5,000 Australian Heads-up Championship to earn A$20,000.
A week later at age 👌 18 years, 5 months, Mike became the youngest player to win an EPT title, and the youngest player to win 👌 overR$1 million when he won the €7,700 NLHE at the EPT German Open Dortmund to collect €933,600 ($1,370,161).
Mike started 2009 👌 at the Aussie Millions where he cashed twice. Back at the EPT German Open, he hoped to repeat his victory 👌 from the year before. In the €5,000 NLHE, he made the final table, but finished 5th to earn €197,000. For 👌 his first WPT cash, he was in Venice where he finished 4th in the €4,000 to earn €109,540. At the 👌 EPT Barcelona, he earned €40,000 for finishing 11th in the €8,000 NLHE Main Event, and finished runner-up in the €750 👌 NLHE at the Master Classics of Poker in Amsterdam for €37,530.
In April 2010, Mike announced through his blog that he 👌 was taking time away from the game, but he did cash 6 times that year. In January, he was at 👌 the PCA where he cashed twice, winning theR$1,500 NLHE event forR$146,804. Later that month, he was at the EPT Deauville, 👌 to take 3rd in the €5,000 NLHE Main Event to earn €295,000. After cashing at the EPT San Remo, he 👌 earned €60,700 for finishing 5th in the €5,000 NLHE at the EPT Grand Final Monte Carlo, and had his last 👌 cash of the year in August at the Canadian Open Poker Championship. In between tournament events, Mike was attending Wilfrid 👌 Laurier University in his hometown.
Mike’s poker hiatus didn’t last long, and in January 2011, he cashed close to home at 👌 the Fallsview Poker Classic. Four months later, he finished 5th for €30,000 in the €10,000 NLHE High Roller Turbo at 👌 the EPT Grand Final. Finally of legal age in the USA, Mike attended the 2011 WSOP where cashed twice, taking 👌 6th forR$73,965 in theR$5,000 PLO 6-Max, and finishing in the money in theR$10,000 PLO Championship event. Even though he was 👌 barely 21, Mike was already a respected poker coach, and was hired to coach eventual 2011 WSOP Main Event winner 👌 Pius Heinz after he made the November Nine. Mutual friend Johannes Strassmann introduced them, and the pair conducted sessions via 👌 Skype in which they worked out, based on the stack sizes and pay increases, appropriate plays for a variety of 👌 circumstances.
While in Las Vegas, Mike cashed in the Main Event at the Bellagio Cup, and outlasted 96 other players to 👌 win Epic Poker League’sR$20,000 NLHE 8-Max Main Event to earnR$782,410 and the championship ring. The next month, he was at 👌 the EPT San Remo, where he cashed in the Main Event, and finished 3rd in the €10,000 NLHE 8- Max 👌 for €95,206.
To end 2011, Mike was in Prague, where he cashed 4 times. At the WPT he cashed twice, finishing 👌 3rd in the NLHE 6-Max to earn €14,802. He also cashed twice at the EPT, where he was runner-up in 👌 the €10,000 NLHE Re-Entry event for €112,700.
Once again shelving school for poker, Mike is a coach and contributor at CardRunners, 👌 and continues to play live as well as online. When he takes a break from poker, he enjoys being home 👌 in Waterloo where he purchased a condo. While at home, he participates in marathon running, plays volleyball, and enjoys Baseball, 👌 Golf, and going to the Lake.
