Michael Mizrachi

Michael David Mizrachi (born January 5, 1981) is an American professional poker player who won the 2010, 2012 and 2018 World Series of Poker $50,000 Players Championship.[1][2] Mizrachi also has two World Poker Tour titles, and he finished 5th in the Main Event of the 2010 World Series of Poker. In January 2013, Mizrachi signed on as a team pro with Lock Poker.[3]

Michael D. Mizrachi
Michael Mizrachi in 2019
Nickname(s)The Grinder
ResidenceHollywood, Florida
Born (1981-01-05) January 5, 1981
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s)5
Final table(s)13
Money finish(es)53
Highest ITM
Main Event finish		5th, 2010
World Poker Tour
Title(s)2
Final table(s)7
Money finish(es)19
European Poker Tour
Money finish(es)1

Personal life

Mizrachi was born in Miami, Florida.[4] He is the younger brother of Robert Mizrachi who has numerous World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour finishes to his own name. He has a twin brother Eric Mizrachi (also a poker player) and a younger brother, Daniel Jay Mizrachi, who is a professional DJ also known as DJ Mizrachi. Mizrachi is fluent in Hebrew, as his father is of Iraqi Jewish origin Ezra Mizrachi.[5] Growing up, Mizrachi wanted to become a doctor but dropped out of college to play poker full-time.

Mizrachi has three children: Paul William (named after his grandfather), Julie Malka ("queen" in Hebrew), and Joseph Mizrachi. He lives in Hollywood, Florida.[6] He purchased a motor home out of his poker winnings which he used to keep his family near him when he was on the road, but eventually sold it as it was depreciating in value.[7] In early 2010, a federal tax lien in the amount of $339,711 was filed against Mizrachi for unpaid taxes related to his earnings from 2005 to 2007.[8] Mizrachi also had two residential properties in Florida foreclosed on including a condominium he owned with his brother, Robert.[8] In 2016, Aidiliy Mizrachi, his wife, divorced Michael for irreconcilable differences.

Poker

In 2006, Mizrachi won CardPlayer Magazine's Player of the Year Award.

Live poker

Tournaments

As of January 2020, Mizrachi's live tournament winnings exceed $17,000,000.[9] His 64 cashes at the WSOP account for $9,169,857 of those winnings.[10]

World Series of Poker

In the 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP), Mizrachi tied the record of seven money finishes in a single year. In the 2008 World Series of Poker, he finished third in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship. In 2010, Mizrachi won his first bracelet in The Poker Player's Championship, defeating Vladimir Shchemelev heads-up and winning $1,559,046. His brother Robert Mizrachi finished 5th in the same event.[11] Later that year, Mizrachi also made the November Nine in the Main Event.[12] He would go on to finish 5th, earning $2,332,992, and was eliminated by eventual winner Jonathan Duhamel. Despite his strong performance at the 2010 WSOP, Frank Kassela was awarded the Player of the Year award based on the pre-existing scoring system. This was controversial because some felt that Mizrachi's year was better, which resulted in a refinement of the scoring system.[13] Mizrachi's success in 2010 led to ESPN poker announcer Norman Chad labelling it "The Year of The Grinder".

In 2011, Mizrachi just missed winning another WSOP title when he took 2nd in the $2,500 Omaha/Stud Eight or Better event for $158,148.[14]

At the 2011 WSOPE, Mizrachi won his second bracelet in the €10,400 No Limit Hold'em (Split Format) by defeating Shawn Buchanan in heads up play, earning €336,008.

Mizrachi made three final tables At the 2012 World Series of Poker and won his second $50,000 Poker Player's Championship title, earning $1,451,527, becoming the event's first 2 time champion in the process.

The 2013 WSOP Africa saw Mizrachi win $3,300 Main Event for $101,267.

In 2018, Mizrachi won the Poker Player's Championship for a record setting 3rd time, earning $1,239,126.

In 2019, Mizrachi won his fifth bracelet in Event #27: Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better, besting a field of 460 players for $142,801.

World Series of Poker bracelets
Year Tournament Prize (US$)
2010 $50,000 The Poker Player's Championship $1,559,046
2011E €10,400 No Limit Hold'em (Split Format) €336,008
2012 $50,000 The Poker Player's Championship $1,451,527
2018 $50,000 The Poker Player's Championship $1,239,126
2019 $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better $142,801

An "E" following a year denotes bracelet(s) won at the World Series of Poker Europe


World Poker Tour

In January 2005, Mizrachi finished fifth in the World Poker Tour (WPT) World Poker Open at a table also featuring Daniel Negreanu and Scotty Nguyen. The next month, he won a first prize of $1,859,909 at the L.A. Poker Classic, defeating a final table including Ted Forrest and Erick Lindgren. He also finished 11th place (out of 452 entrants) in the $25,000 WPT Championship.[2]

Cash games

Mizrachi played during the second season of High Stakes Poker.[15]

Awards

ALL IN Magazine 2010 Poker Player of the Year [16]

Notes
  1. Rodriguez, Julio (June 2, 2010). "Day 4 of the WSOP $50,000 Players Championship". CardPlayer.com. CardPlayer.com. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
  2. Butt, Robert. "Michael Mizrachi- Results". TheHendonMob.com. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  3. "Cardplayer.com: "Lock Poker Signs Michael Mizrachi"". Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  4. "Michael Mizrachi WPT profile". worldpokertour.com. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  5. "Michael Mizrachi Grinds Out Victory in 2010 WSOP Poker Players Championship". Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  6. Ordine, Bill (July 27, 2010), The Smart Money: Michael Mizrachi an Unlikely Cinderella Story at the World Series of Poker, The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20100727_The_Smart_Money___Michael_Mizrachi_an_unlikely_Cinderella_story_at_World_Series_of_Poker.html
  7. Shulman, Allyn Jaffrey (August 5, 2005). "Travelin' Man". Card Player. CardPlayer.com. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  8. Sortal, Nick (May 13, 2010). "Superstar South Florida Poker Player Down on his Luck". MiamiHerald.com. Miami Herald republished from Sun Sentinel. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  9. Butt, Robert. "Michael Mizrachi - Stats". TheHendonMob.com. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
  10. "Michael Mizrachi WSOP stats". wsop.com. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
  11. "PokerNews Live Reporting: Event #2: $50,000 Poker Player's Championship". PokerNews.com. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  12. "Michael Mizrachi PokerNews Profile". PokerNews.com. June 3, 2010. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  13. "Changes Made to WSOP Player of the Year". PokerStrategy.com. June 13, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  14. "Michael Mizrachi's profile on The Hendon Mob". The Hendon Mob Poker Database. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  15. "Michael Mizrachi PokerNews Profile". PokerNews.com. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  16. "2010 Poker Player of the Year". Retrieved July 7, 2018.
gollark: Yes, people can apparently be convinced of really stupid things and really love conforming.
gollark: And being educated is also not the same as being intelligent.
gollark: Well, being intelligent doesn't protect you from doing immensely stupid things.
gollark: You *would* perhaps download a server, but *could* you? (probably not)
gollark: I'm not sure how you would actually do that.
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