Michael Guttman is from Melbourne, Australia, and, like fellow countryman Joe Hachem, he is doing his country proud at the poker tables. Although Guttman has not won a main event at the World Series of Poker as Hachem has, there is no denying that Michael is an Aussie poker player to keep an eye on.
We are not sure if the blood flows elsewhere when you are from the land of "Down Under" but when Michael takes a seat at the felt he keeps his wits sharp and cagey - and maybe that accent helps, too. Guttman has cashed in on at least 15 tourneys so far, and it's his quality of play that has his countrymen shouting "Oi!" from around the tables or on the other side of the TV screen. Michael has already garnered 4 first place tournament finishes and made over half a million dollars in total earnings to date. You might not call him a phenom yet, but if he keeps up this pace you may have to. Guttman is not limiting his success to his native land, either, as his 2nd and 3rd place finishes at the 2006 World Series of Poker demonstrated. Michael grabbed $360,659 for his 2nd place in the Pot Limit Omaha event (Event 16) and $139,564 for his 3rd place in the No Limit Holdem Short-Handed event (Event 21). If you take a look at his track record, it's easy to see why he has impressed his countrymen and made a name for himself in Australia as he has grabbed several top 5 finishes over the past 2-3 years in his homeland – including first place finishes at the 2004 and 2005 Crown Australian Poker Championship. The pots Down Under are not as lucrative as they are in the States, but Guttman doesn't mind that. He's winning, period.
