Michael Mizrachi Wins WSOP Main Event, Becomes Instant Hall of Famer

The 2025 WSOP concluded with a bang, as Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi won the Main Event in a short final day of play, having begun in a dominant position. The win earned Mizrachi instant induction into the Hall of Fame and a permanent spot in the poker pantheon. On its own, a Main Event win will make anyone a household name in the poker world, but Mizrachi achieved something truly special this summer, taking down the two most prestigious poker tournaments in the world in the same year.

He claimed his fourth career Poker Players Championship bracelet at the end of June, the most of any player.

That, coupled with this Main Event win, was enough to earn Mizrachi his spot in the Poker Hall of Fame, something his peers have said was overdue. Immediately after the final card of the Main Event was dealt, The Grinder was presented with his bracelet and the $10 million top prize before being informed that he was also the newest member of the Poker Hall of Fame. Current members of the Hall of Fame came up on stage to congratulate him.

The spontaneous induction was, like Mizrachi’s performance this summer, unprecedented.

Poker Hall of Famer and all-time bracelet leader Phil Hellmuth commended Mizrachi on X:

Michael Mizrachi goes straight into the Poker Hall of Fame! No wait, no fuss, no muss; as all 33 Hall of Famers agreed unanimously!

Never happened in the history of poker that someone went in like this! But, then, no one has ever pulled off a feat quite like this one! Grinder won the WSOP Main Event AND the Players Championship this year! His FOURTH Players Championship!

Folks – he won the two most prestigious events at the WSOP!! By the way, the main event had over 9,600 players!

Typically, the Hall of Fame only inducts one new player each year, and Nick Schulman had already been announced as this year’s addition. Mizrachi’s remarkable run called for the rules to be bent, however.

Only one other player has won the PPC and the Main Event in their career: Scotty Nguyen, who won the 1998 Main Event and the 2008 PPC. Winning both in a single year is a feat that’s unlikely to be repeated, especially if field sizes continue to grow.

Final Day Domination

Mizrachi’s win seemed fated from the start. He entered the final day of the Main Event with 76% of the chips in play and three opponents to defeat. It would take just two hands for The Grinder to eliminate Kenny Hallaert, who had been his closest rival until a fateful hand late on the first day of final table play. Braxton Dunaway was the next to go out, falling in third to set up heads-up play against the amateur and former chip leader John Wasnock.

In addition to his advantage in experience over Wasnock, Mizrachi also held more than a five-to-one chip lead by that point.

In just sixteen hands of heads-up play, Mizrachi finished off Wasnock. The deck had been kind to Mizrachi at the final table, and that continued right through to the ultimate hand. The Grinder turned a flush against Wasnock, who had flopped two pair—a difficult hand to get away from heads-up. Mizrachi was already celebrating before the river card was dealt, even though Wasnock still had the chance to make a full house. Wasnock’s outs stayed in the deck, however, and the tournament was all over.

Mizrachi had predicted it would only take him an hour to finish off the remaining players. As it turned out, even that was an overestimate.

All told, the final day of play lasted just 44 minutes from the first hand until the final card. It’s an appropriate amount of time for a win that had an air of destiny about it. Mizrachi has stated on a few occasions that 44 is an important number for him, as it represents both his current age and his favorite poker hand. The turn card that gave him his winning flush was also a Four.

Reaction From the Poker World

The poker world seemed blown away by Mizrachi’s win. For many, it was conjured nostalgia for the poker boom of the early 2000s, as that was when The Grinder first made a name for himself. Another popular talking point was his style of play. In an era when many players seek to be mathematically “optimal” and unexploitable, Mizrachi relies on his reads and instincts, adjusting his strategy to each opponent.

The overwhelmingly positive reaction is refreshing in the wake of the 2024 Main Event, which left a sour taste in many mouths. That controversial finish, sometimes dubbed “Laptop Gate,” saw winner Jonathan Tamayo receiving coaching between hands from friends on the rail, who were using solver software to analyze play. Although not illegal at the time, that scenario prompted the WSOP to institute new rules about the use of electronics in the tournament area.

One of the best reactions came from PokerGO WSOP commentator Ali Nejad, who discussed how emotional he became while announcing the win in real time.

This one got me a little shook. Straight into the hall as well was the right cherry from @wsop. Much love @TheGrinder44. '25 PPC & ME champ. 🏆🏆💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/RwTP0Ek3cm

— Ali Nejad (@Ali_Nejad) July 16, 2025

Quickest Final Table in History

His nickname may be “The Grinder,” but the final table was anything but a grind. If his other records weren’t enough, Mizrachi also finished off his final table opponents faster than any other winner in Main Event history.

Between both days, the final table lasted 79 hands. The second shortest, in 2023, took over twice as long, at 164 hands.

What was considered the most anticipated and best final table lineup in years ended up being over in the blink of an eye. Yet those 79 hands produced enough drama that few fans will have been left disappointed.