Mike McDonald, also known by his online alias "Timex," is a Canadian poker player and former EPT champion.
McDonald gained recognition at a young age for his exceptional skill and success in both online and live poker tournaments, and he quickly rose to prominence in the high-stakes poker community.
Beyond his poker accomplishments, McDonald is also known for his entrepreneurial ventures in the poker industry, including his involvement in the creation of the poker staking platform PokerShares.
Mike McDonald Background
Born on September 11, 1989, McDonald started playing poker when he was a teenager and soon became known at the online poker tables by his nickname “Timex”.
McDonald made waves by winning the European Poker Tour (EPT) German Open in 2008 at the age of 18, becoming the youngest player to ever win an EPT event at that time. This victory propelled him into the spotlight of the live tournament circuit.
Mike McDonald Twitter
You can follow Mike McDonald on Twitter by following @MikeMcDonald89.
Mike McDonald Instagram
As far as PokerNews is aware, Mike McDonald does not have an Instagram account.
Mike McDonald YouTube
As far as PokerNews is aware, Mike McDonald does not have an YouTube account.
Mike McDonald Poker History
After his EPT victory in 2008, McDonald took time to travel the world, picking up tournament cashes in Australia, Germany, Italia, Spain, the Netherlands and the Bahamas. In 2010 he narrowly finished out on another EPT victory, finishing third in the EPT Deauville Mian Event for €295,000.
In 2011, he won the Epic Poker League $20,000 Main Event for $782,410 before another EPT final table finish in Madrid in 2012, finishing ninth.
By 2014, McDonald was a seasoned tournament pro but broke new ground thanks to a trio of seven-figure scores to start the year.
First, he finished runner-up to Dominik Panka in the 2014 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) Main Event, good for $1 million but coming up just one spot shy of becoming the first-ever two-time EPT champ.
Then, the following month, he finished second in the Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge for $1,343,436, and two days later placed third in the $250,000 Challenge for a career-high $1,701,808.
The following year, he took second in the $250,000 Challenge for $1,235,228. As it happened, Phil Ivey won both of those $250K tournaments.
In 2015, he took down the EPT Malta €25,000 High Roller for $561,622.
McDonald was a part of the Montreal Nationals team that won the inaugural season of the now-defunct Global Poker League (GPL).
Two years later, McDonald topped a 53-entry field to win the $10,300 partypoker MILLION North America High Roller for CA$200,000. To date, this is his last tournament victory.
As of April 2014, McDonald had $13.3 million in lifetime tournament earnings, which at the time put him eighth on Canada’s all-time money list according to the Hendon Mob.
While McDonald has had success at Aussie Millions, EPT, and even the World Poker Tour (WPT) – he finished third in the 2013 WPT Alpha8 St. Kitts for $434,560, his skills haven’t translated over to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) as he’s amassed just $281,123 in earnings. Granted, McDonald doesn’t play a ton of WSOP tournaments, but nonetheless, he’s still considered “one of the best without a bracelet.”
McDonald's first WSOP money finish was in 2011 as it was the year when he could start legally playing poker in the United States. He marked his debut by cashing in two events. In one of the two, McDonald went all the way to the final table and collected over $70,000 for the sixth-place finish in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha - Six Handed tournament. He came back to Vegas in the summer of 2012 and scored five more money finishes. His best result was once again the sixth place finish at the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em / Ante Only event in which he cashed almost $40,000. A few months later he went to the WSOP Europe in Cannes, France, and placed 11th in the €1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha / Six Handed event for just over €5,000.
Mike McDonald Top Five Poker Results
| Date | Event | Place | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb-14 | Aussie Millions $250,000 Challenge | 3rd | $1,701,808 |
| Jan-08 | EPT Dortmund Main Event | 1st | $1,370,161 |
| Feb-14 | Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge | 2nd | $1,343,436 |
| Feb-15 | Aussie Millions $250,000 Challenge | 2nd | $1,235,228 |
| Jan-15 | PCA Main Event | 2nd | $1,064,865 |
Mike McDonald Basketball Prop Bet
McDonald, who launched the now-defunct PokerShares platform, made headlines in 2020 when he won a highly-publicized prop bet for $250,000. He had to shoot 90 percent from the free throw line over a 100-shot sample to win the bet, and despite not being a basketball player and with an unorthodox stance, he won the bet within five months. Some of the poker pros he beat included Nick Schulman, Will Jaffe, Jake Abdalla, and Christian Harder.
What is Mike McDonald's net worth?
With over $13 million in live earnings, it's easy to assume that Mike McDonald's net worth is in the millions of dollars
How did Mike McDonald make his money?
An experienced tournament player, McDonald won several tournaments during the 2010s, with three seven-figure scores at the Aussie Millions during this time.
Why is Mike McDonald called Timex?
McDonald's nickname of "Timex" comes from the original nickname "Bank of Timex" due to his propensity to book bets, set lines, etc.
Is Mike McDonald Good at Poker?
With over $13 million in tournament earnings, McDonald was one of the most feared tournament opponents in the mid-2010s, with a slew of seven-figure victories.
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