Poker Writer
Michael “the Grinder” Mizrachi has already managed one unprecedented feat at this summer’s World Series of Poker, and now has the chance to outdo himself by taking down the Main Event. He has the second-largest chip stack going into tonight’s final table and could become the first player to win the Poker Players Championship (PPC) and Main Event in the same year.
Mizrachi’s PPC victory made this summer one to remember, as he won that bracelet for an unprecedented fourth time. The 44-year-old poker legend has been around the elite level of the WSOP for 15 years, with his four PPC titles coming from 2010, 2012, 2018, and 2025 to make for four of his seven total WSOP bracelets.
The only Main Event winner who also holds a PPC bracelet is Scotty Nguyen. However, his Main Event win came before the poker boom and multi-thousand-player fields. His PPC bracelet similarly comes from the tournament’s spiritual predecessor, the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship, before it changed its name and format in 2010.
If Mizrachi pulls this off, it’s quite likely that no one else will ever manage both in a single year again.
Memories of 2010
Until now, 2010 was the most successful year of Mizrachi’s career. His run in 2025 is shaping up to be uncannily similar, but with the chance to be even more impressive.
That memorable 2010 WSOP saw a then-up-and-coming Grinder win his first PPC title and then follow that up with a Main Event final table.
That run ended in fifth place, worth $2.3 million. That remains the largest cash of his career. To beat it, he’ll have to finish at least fifth again. This year’s Main Event field was larger than 2010’s, so a repeat performance would be worth $2.4 million this time around. The prizes only rise from there, up to $10 million for first.
Mizrachi enters the Main Event final table with 58 big blinds. Five of the other eight players are sitting on 33 or fewer, which creates a very favorable situation for an aggressive player like the Grinder.
Can Instinct Trump Math?
Mizrachi famously does not adhere to the modern “game theoretically optimal (GTO)” approach to poker favored by many of his peers. He is a classic “feel” player at the highest level, willing to deviate from established hand ranges based on his reads. That makes him an exciting player to watch, as you are never quite sure what he will do in any scenario.
GTO poker means avoiding leaving weaknesses for other players to exploit. But doing that means passing up opportunities to exploit holes in those other players’ games. Mizrachi goes after his opponents individually, daring them to try to outsmart him.
Sportscaster Nick Wright explained his admiration for Mizrachi to his followers, many of whom don’t play poker:
Nothing would be better for this tournament than Mizrachi making the Final Table. More than that he’s a legend, he plays the game in a fun, engaging way, without alienating his opponents or the audience. He’s ideal for viewership/growth of the game.
Winning the PPC and the Main Event, arguably the two most prestigious tournaments of the entire poker calendar, in the same WSOP would add another level of legendary status to “The Grinder”.
Mizrachi is a Hall of Fame Shoo-In
Much has been made over the fact that Mizrachi is not yet in the Poker Hall of Fame. His fourth PPC bracelet might already be enough to secure his place, but a Main Event bracelet would guarantee it.
Current Hall of Famer Erik Seidel thinks the final table appearance is enough on its own, regardless of where the Grinder finishes.
No vote, just stick @TheGrinder44 straight into HOF
— Erik Seidel (@Erik_Seidel) June 29, 2025
What makes Mizrachi’s results all the more impressive is that he is not a high-volume player. Other top pros play full schedules, giving themselves many opportunities to pick up bracelets. Mizrachi picks his spots, playing only most prestigious tournaments, or those he sees as having the most value for him.
There are downsides to that. Even if Mizrachi wins the Main Event and PPC, that might not be enough to earn the 2025 WSOP Player of the Year title due to a lack of other results. He also wasn’t drafted for the $25K Fantasy because of his low volume.
But if he wins the Main, none of that will matter. No matter who is officially Player of the Year, 2025 will go down as The Year of the Grinder if he pulls this off.
