On the footsteps of poker immortality, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi just needed to outlast three more opponents in the 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event. The final day of the WSOP at Horseshoe and Paris casinos in Las Vegas didn’t disappoint, as the action at the final table was fast and furious from the onset. Mizrachi made history today; but in more ways than one.

Hallaert’s Stay on Day 10 Lasts One Hand

“One hour.”

That was how long Michael Mizrachi predicted it would take to finish dismantling the final table and take his seat among poker’s legends. While his comment could’ve been taken in jest, his first two hands of the final day set him on the path to making his words part of poker lore.

On the very first hand of the day, Kenny Hallaert ripped in 19 million (or just under eight big blinds) with . Mizrachi took a peek in the big blind, finding and making a quick call. “The Grinder” implored his rail to root for a king or a jack, but none would be found on a flop. Despite whiffing the flop, Mizrachi looked at Hallaert with a grin and said “I”m good at this part.” Sure enough, the slammed on the turn to give Mizrachi top pair and a big lead. Hallaert could only look in stoic shock as the rolled off the river.

Despite the elimination, Hallaert now boasts one of the most impressive resumes in Main Event history, with this fourth place finish now sitting alongside his sixth place run in 2016. Only seven players have managed to make the final table twice since the Moneymaker era began in 2003 (with Mizrachi on that list as well). Hallaert’s $3 million prize for fourth also vaulted him up to third on Belgium’s all-time money list behind Thomas Boivin and Davidi Kitai.

The Oil Man Makes a Stand

The dust had barely settled from Hallaert’s elimination when Mizrachi was at it again, jamming from the small blind with to put Braxton Dunaway at risk for his last 23 million. Dunaway looked down at the and decided to gamble, making the call only to find himself crushed. Mizrachi took one of Dunaway’s outs away on the flop, and the turn brought no relief. 

“There’s no six!” Mizrachi told his rail before the river could drop, and the prophecy was fulfilled when he filled his flush on the river. Dunaway’s $4 million cash-in for his third place performance was the second seven-figure score for the Texan, with his victory in the 2023 WSOP $1,500 Monster Stack the other. He joins Dan Harrington, Josh Arieh, Ben Lamb and Niklas Astedt as players who have finished third in the biggest tournament in poker.

Mizrachi’s March to Poker History Concludes

Given how the first two hands played out, it seemed all but inevitable that John Wasnock would be out the door on the third hand of the day. But the amateur from Washington who admitted “That was the fastest three million dollars I’ve ever made” after the first two eliminations, wouldn’t go down without a fight, trading blows with Mizrachi over the next fifteen hands while watching his stack slightly deteriorate before the final hand of the tournament.

On hand #79, Wasnock min-raised the button with and Mizrachi defended his big blind with . Both players found help on the flop, but the action checked through. The turn brought Mizrachi’s flush, but he chose to set the trap and check. Wasnock’s two pair were good enough for a bet of 10 million, and Mizrachi raised the roof and double thumb-pumped with his fists before raising to 30 million. Wasnock wasted no time announcing “All in” and Mizrachi snap-called.

Mizrachi erroneously thought he had already won after the hands were tabled, yelling “It’s over, it’s over!” before someone on his rail pointed out that Waznock had outs to a full house. Waznock was still while Mizrachi bounced from rail to table, waiting for the river card to fall. The final card of the 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event would be the , failing to fill up Waznock and leaving him as the runner-up. Mizrachi bounded across the room celebrating with his fans, while Waznock applauded the victor and took solace with his rail. Waznock’s $6 million for finishing second sends him all the way to second in Washington’s all-time money list.

A Final Accolade for “The Grinder”

The presentation of the most prestigious bracelet in poker was done by WSOP Senior Vice President Jack Effel and Jostens Vice President of Pro Sports Sales Ryan Ford, the massive bracelet itself adorned with 2,265 diamonds, a total of 42 carats, and valued at over $150,000. Mizrachi accepted the bracelet as his raucous rail chanted “Hall of Fame!” On cue, Effel then brought out multiple members of the Poker Hall of Fame, such as Brian Rast, Jen Harman, Phil Hellmuth and Phil Ivey, to name a few. It was then revealed that Mizrachi was unanimously voted into the Poker Hall of Fame by the 33 current living members. “What you’ve done is phenomenal, this is a f***ing battlefield promotion! Winning the Main, winning the Poker Players Championship, and now the Hall of Fame!”

The impact this WSOP had on Mizrachi’s legacy is undeniable. Already one of the true icons in poker, Mizrachi’s magical run to the two most prestigious tournaments of the WSOP docket is an accomplishment that may never be replicated. His now eighth WSOP bracelet moves him into a tie for seventh all time with Benny Glaser.  His $29 million in tournament earnings moves him all the way to 31st on the all-time money list, sandwiched between Hellmuth and Daniel Colman. The fourth PPC victory gives him the most wins in that event of all time, one more than Rast.

Mizrachi has laid his claim to becoming one of the faces of poker Mount Rushmore, someone you emulate at the table and speak about in reverent tones. In 2005, he had his introduction to the poker world, earning a WPT title and tying a then-record with seven cashes in the WSOP. In 2010, he won his first WSOP PPC title and finished fifth in the Main Event, and Mizrachi became known as one of poker’s rising stars.

At the World Series of Poker in 2025, Mizrachi won the PPC and the Main Event both.

“The Grinder” is now a true poker icon.

WSOP 2025 Event #81: $10,000 Main Event World Championship Final Table Results
Place	Player	Country	Prize
1st	Michael Mizrachi	United States	$10,000,000
2nd	John Wasnock	United States	$6,000,000
3rd	Braxton Dunaway	United States	$4,000,000
4th	Kenny Hallaert	Belgium	$3,000,000
5th	Luka Bojovic	Serbia	$2,400,000
6th	Adam Hendrix	United States	$1,900,000
7th	Leo Margets	Spain	$1,500,000
8th	Jarod Minghini	United States	$1,250,000
9th	Daehyung Lee	South Korea	$1,000,000

 

Eveslage Earns Bracelet Four in High Roller H.O.R.S.E.

Fourteen players returned for Event #98: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. with most looking to add to their bracelet collections; only David Oppenheim and Tomasz Gluszko were sans WSOP gold. In the end, it was mixed game specialist Chad Eveslage besting Brian Rast in heads-up action to secure his fourth career WSOP gold bracelet. Eveslage started the day near the bottom of the counts, but ballooned up to second in chips before the final table of nine was reached. 

Eveslage, Rast and start-of-day chip leader Toby Lewis spent much of the final table near the top of the leaderboards. Once they were left as the final three, Eveslage went on a massive tear before eliminating Lewis in Limit Hold’em. Eveslage had a slight lead over Rast in heads-up action and never relinquished the lead, eventually ousting Rast in Seven Card Stud to earn the victory.

WSOP 2025 Event #98: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. Final Table Results
Place	Player	Country	Prize
1st	Chad Eveslage	United States	$883,841
2nd	Brian Rast	United States	$586,539
3rd	Toby Lewis	United Kingdom	$399,763
4th	Nacho Barbero	Argentina	$280,030
5th	Ryan Miller	United States	$201,761
6th	Phil Ivey	United States	$149,643
7th	John Hennigan	United States	$114,350
8th	Chris Hunichen	United States	$90,110

 

Zack Earns Fourth Bracelet in Bonus Day of $3k PLO

It took an extra fourth day of action for Event #96: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha to reach a conclusion, with four players returning to battle it out for a piece of WSOP gold. Daniel Zack managed to come out on top for his fourth career WSOP bracelet. Despite starting with the chip lead, Richard Gryko was first to fall, running single-suited kings into Joshua Ladines double-suited aces to fall in fourth.

Zack took care of Ladines a short time later after riveting kings-full, and entered heads-up against Zachary Schwartz with a commanding lead. Schwartz would get his last few chips in with a flush draw against Zack’s top two and lower flush draw, and a brick river sent the bracelet to Zack.

WSOP 2025 Event #96: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Final Table Results
Place	Player	Country	Chips/Prize
1st	Daniel Zack	United States	$471,170
2nd	Zachary Schwartz	United States	$314,056
3rd	Joshua Ladines	United States	$216,539
4th	Richard Gryko	United Kingdom	$151,802
5th	Fahredin Mustafov	Bulgaria	$108,231
6th	Jeremy Ausmus	United States	$78,504