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The 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event has officially concluded, and history has been made in the most spectacular fashion.
Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, already one of the most decorated players in WSOP history, achieved what no one has before—winning both the $10,000 WSOP Main Event and the prestigious $50,000 Poker Players Championship in the same year.
On July 16, Mizrachi cemented his legacy with a dominant performance that ended in a $10 million payday, a ninth WSOP bracelet, and a surprise induction into the Poker Hall of Fame.
Mizrachi’s Historic Run to the Title
The final table began with Mizrachi holding more than three-quarters of the chips in play, and the momentum never left his side. The Grinder made quick work of the remaining players, eliminating Kenny Hallaert and Braxton Dunaway on the first two hands of Day 10. In just 20 hands, the tournament was over.
Mizrachi’s path to victory began with a dramatic turning point on Day 9 when Mizrachi spiked an ace on the river to crack John Wasnock’s pocket kings. That hand shifted the dynamic of the final table and set Mizrachi on a path to complete control.
With Wasnock reeling, Mizrachi opened Day 10 by knocking out Hallaert, whose ace-queen offsuit lost to king-jack suited when a jack arrived on the turn. On the very next hand, Dunaway shoved with ten-six suited, but Mizrachi was waiting with ace-ten suited. The board brought no help for Dunaway, and Mizrachi entered heads-up play with a commanding chip lead.
The final hand came when Wasnock flopped two pair with ace-nine, but Mizrachi had turned a flush with ten-three suited. All the chips went in on the turn, and the river bricked out for Wasnock. Just like that, Mizrachi was the 2025 WSOP Main Event Champion.
A First-of-Its-Kind Feat
Mizrachi’s Main Event victory followed his fourth career win in the Poker Players Championship earlier in the summer. No other player in WSOP history has pulled off this double, winning the two most demanding events in the same year. The PPC win earned him $1.3 million, but the $10 million Main Event prize was the crowning achievement.
WSOP CEO Ty Stewart called the achievement “the most impressive feat in poker history,” and a group of Poker Hall of Famers, including Phil Ivey, Brian Rast, and Phil Hellmuth, surprised Mizrachi at the final table to induct him into the Hall of Fame on the spot. He became the 65th member, a unanimous selection.
Mizrachi’s Final Table Performance
Seat by seat, Mizrachi dismantled the final table. His calculated aggression and timely hands overwhelmed opponents who had already battled through eight grueling days of poker.
After eliminating Hallaert and Dunaway, Mizrachi controlled the pace against Wasnock. Despite Wasnock making two pair on the final hand, Mizrachi’s turned flush was just too strong. The final table concluded faster than anyone could have predicted, but for those watching, it was vintage Mizrachi—aggressive, unrelenting, and totally in command.
Final Table Payouts
Each of the final nine earned a minimum of $1 million, but only one would walk away with eight figures and poker’s most prestigious title. Here’s how the final table played out:
- Michael Mizrachi – $10,000,000
- John Wasnock – $6,000,000
- Braxton Dunaway – $4,000,000
- Kenny Hallaert – $3,000,000
- Leo Margets – $2,400,000
- Daehyung Lee – $1,900,000
- Luka Bojovic – $1,500,000
- Adam Hendrix – $1,250,000
- Jarod Minghini – $1,000,000
The Grinder’s Road to the Championship
Mizrachi entered the 2025 Main Event on Day 1b and had anything but a smooth ride. He spent several days nursing a short stack, even falling to just three big blinds with 19 players left on Day 7. But his resilience, honed through decades of high-stakes tournament experience, carried him through. He doubled at every crucial moment, including multiple all-ins on Day 8 that flipped the script.
By the time the final table was set, Mizrachi was second in chips behind Wasnock. But once the cards hit the air for the final two days, he quickly took command and never looked back.
A Legendary Career Gets Its Defining Moment
Michael Mizrachi’s poker résumé was already elite. Before this summer, he had six WSOP bracelets and was the only player to win the Poker Players Championship three times. In 2025, he added two more bracelets, bringing his total to nine, and locked in the WSOP Main Event title that had eluded him since his fifth-place finish in 2010.
Mizrachi’s career has spanned two decades and includes major titles around the globe, but the 2025 WSOP will always be remembered as his defining summer. From the PPC title to the Main Event triumph and a Hall of Fame induction, he leaves Las Vegas as the undisputed face of poker’s modern era.
Mizrachi’s Legacy Cemented
The Grinder’s win has been celebrated throughout the poker world. Long respected for his fierce competitiveness and versatility, he now joins the ultra-elite group of players who have won the Main Event. His record-setting fourth PPC title and Main Event championship are achievements that may never be matched.
In a year that featured historic runs from players like Leo Margets, a return to the final table for Kenny Hallaert, and deep efforts from names like Adam Hendrix and Luka Bojovic, it was Mizrachi who stole the spotlight.
Looking Ahead
With the tables now packed up and the lights off at the Horseshoe Events Center, the 2025 WSOP is in the books. Over 100 bracelets were awarded, but none shone brighter than the one placed on Mizrachi’s wrist. He exits the series as the world champion, a Poker Hall of Famer, and one of the most dominant forces the game has ever seen.
Poker has witnessed many great champions. But in 2025, Michael Mizrachi didn’t just win—he redefined what greatness looks like on the game’s biggest stage.
