Unstoppable Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi Makes History, Dominates WSOP 2025 Main Event

Michael Mizrachi Completes the Masterpiece: Wins the WSOP 2025 Main Event and Joins the Immortals
 

Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi penned an unbelievable story. The American pro etched his name into poker history in Las Vegas in the best possible way— becoming the world champion of the 2025 WSOP Main Event. Just days after being down to 3 big blinds, he turned one of the greatest comebacks into a $10 million victory and secured his eighth WSOP gold bracelet.

The final table was record-breakingly swift, taking only 79 hands. The final day saw just 20 hands before a decision was made. Mizrachi's overwhelming dominance was clear, breaking the previous record of 163 hands set in 2023. “I said I needed an hour,” Mizrachi recalled his prediction after the previous day's conclusion. “I just felt that with 75 percent of the chips today, there was no other outcome.”

Mizrachi secured the title with a turn flush, defeating John Wasnock's two pairs, finally capturing a title he was close to back in 2010 (finishing fifth then). This time, it was his show, and his triumph places him firmly among the greatest poker legends such as Doyle, Ivey, Chan, Negreanu, and Hellmuth.

Mizrachi's Winning Hand
 

The final hand of this year's Main Event was a dramatic culmination of Mizrachi's unstoppable run. John Wasnock opened from the button to 5,000,000, and Mizrachi called. The flop 7 c​ 9 c​ A d​ saw both players check. On the turn 4 c​​ a bet of 10,000,000 from Wasnock prompted Mizrachi to gesture to his rail to start cheering as he raised to 30,000,000. Wasnock quickly went all-in, and Mizrachi called.

Wasnock turned over A s 9 d​ for two pairs, but Mizrachi held T c 3 c​​​—a flush. The river 5 c​ changed nothing, crowning "The Grinder" as the 2025 WSOP World Champion.

After the win, Mizrachi admitted he was so consumed by the moment that he didn’t fully grasp his opponent’s exact strength: “It was a crazy hand. I think after all these days, I wasn’t even seeing the cards clearly. I thought he had ace-high clubs, then thought he was drawing dead. Then they said, ‘No, he has two pairs!’ I didn’t even realize,” Mizrachi laughed, already sporting the diamond bracelet on his wrist. “I just knew I was winning.”

Mizrachi Inducted into the Hall of Fame Right After Win
 

When WSOP announced the nominations for the Poker Hall of Fame 2025 earlier this summer, Michael Mizrachi's name was surprisingly absent. But he responded the best way possible, and with a fourth victory in the $50K Poker Players Championship, his future induction seemed a certainty.

However, before the Main Event's final day, many called for his immediate induction. Notably, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth openly urged WSOP to forgo bureaucracy and act. “If Mizrachi wins the Main Event, he shouldn’t wait until next year, do it now,” they declared. And WSOP Vice President Jack Effel listened.

In the company of Hellmuth, Ivey, Rasta, Hennigan, and Jennifer Harman, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi was immediately inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame— an extraordinary move as the traditional voting process was bypassed to honor his remarkable double: winning the PPC and Main Event in the same year.

“It’s amazing. God bless them all... Thank you very much. I feel I deserved it. I could have waited until next year, but now I'm even more motivated. This makes me hungrier,” an emotional Mizrachi said. “I've reached the Hall of Fame, but I’m not retiring. I'll be back next year and I'm coming for much more.”

Source: WSOP, PokerNews, YouTube, PokerGO