2019 marks the 50th annual World Series of Poker. The most prestigious poker festival in history has played a pivotal role in creating many of the legends and superstars of the game. To commemorate the occasion, PocketFives editorial staff each ranked the top 50 players in WSOP history in an effort to define and rank the most important, influential, and greatest WSOP players of all time. 

Michael Mizrachi

In 2018, Michael ‘The Grinder’ Mizrachi made World Series of Poker history when he defeated Poker Hall of Fame member John Hennigan in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship to have his name etched on the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy a record third time.

“It’s quite an accomplishment,” Mizrachi said just moments after winning the $1.2M first place prize. “To win the first one was amazing. The second one was great. The third one is unheard of.”

Indeed, it was unheard of. Mizrachi earned his fourth career bracelet in what many pros regard as the toughest mixed game tournament of the year. However, as improbable as his third PPC victory was, the fact that Mizrachi was able to do it was not something that occurred out of the blue. ‘The Grinder’ has made a career out of accomplishing amazing feats on the felt.

Since 2004, Mizrachi has been producing results at the World Series of Poker. In his first year at the series, Mizrachi only posted a single cash – an 11th place finish in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament for just over $12,000. The very next year, ‘The Grinder’ began to live up to his well-known nickname as he fired in tournaments all summer long, cashing in a total of seven events including a 230th place run in the 2005 Main Event for over $33,000.

Mizrachi’s first live cash of any kind was recorded in 2004 and by 2008 he’d already added two seven-figure scores to rapidly growing poker resume. But that overwhelming success had yet to translate to the summer series. All of that changed in 2008. Early in the series Mizrachi reached his first final table, finishing in eighth place in a $2500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo tournament for $24,000. While the money was nice, it was the breakthrough Mizrachi had been looking for. He reached another final table later in that series, narrowly missing out on his first bracelet by finishing in third place in the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship for over $331,000.

Two years later in 2010, Mizrachi finally closed out a tournament and it was a big one. He faced down the incredibly stacked final table of the $50,000 Poker Players Championship – including eliminating his own brother Robert Mizrachi in fifth place – to earn his first WSOP bracelet and the $1,559,046 first place prize, the third million dollar score of his career.

Mizrachi seemingly was not content. That same year, he used his trademark aggressive style and navigated the 7,319 player field in the 2010 Main Event to secure a seat at the final table as a member of the November Nine. As one of only a handful of players who could catch Frank Kassela in the Player of the Year race, Mizrachi needed a second place finish to take that title. He ended up finishing in fifth place, barely missing out on being named Player of the Year but he added a career-high score of over $2,332,992. He took home over $4M that year, making the final table four out his five cashes.

Mizrachi earned his lone non-PPC bracelet in 2011 when he traveled to France to play in the World Series of Poker Europe. He battled at the final table of the €10,400 Split-Format No Limit Hold’em which included Jason Mercier, Brian Hastings, and Shaun Buchanan to win bracelet #2.

In 2012, Mizrachi continued to run white hot. After making his way to two mixed game final tables earlier in the series, ‘The Grinder’ once again found himself at the final table of the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. He defeated Chris Klodnicki heads-up and for the second time in three years earned himself a PPC victory and another seven-figure score in the amount of $1,451,527.<

“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be a two-time champion in the Poker Players Championship,” Mizrachi said in 2012. “It’s the toughest field you can ever play in.”

During the two year stretch from 2011 through 2013 Mizrachi had 10 total cashes, which on its own may not seem overwhelming until you recognize that in nine of ten he made the final table of and two of those, he took home the bracelet.

>Mizrachi’s success in the Poker Players Championship continued in 2016.  He made the final table for the third time, nearly taking it down. Eventually, he hit the rail in fourth place earning $380,000.

Then in 2018, Mizrachi did the unthinkable. He left no doubt as to his mixed game prowess by taking down the PPC title for a record third time. In the tournament that professional poker players consider one of the toughest tests of skill and endurance, Mizrachi sits alone with three victories in the event’s 13-year history.

Mizrachi’s $8.7M in total WSOP earnings put him 21st on the WSOP All-Time Money list and fewer than 50 players have earned themselves four bracelets.