The Grinder Wraps It Up: Michael Mizrachi Wins the 2025 WSOP Main Event

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It’s all over. Michal “The Grinder” Mizrachi has crowned his already amazing WSOP performance this year with a triumph in the Main Event, claiming the title that escaped him back in 2010.

Mizrachi has already made history this summer, becoming the only player to win the prestigious Poker Players Championship four times. But this wasn’t enough, as “The Grinder” went on a run of a lifetime in the Main Event, outlasting 9,734 other players to claim the win and the $10,000,000 first-place prize.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the surprise Poker Hall of Fame induction. That’s right – as of tonight, “The Grinder” is officially in!

He came back tonight to finish what he started the evening before, returning with three-quarters of the chips in play. With only three players between him and the title, Mizrachi was not shy about his chances. When asked what it would take to win tonight, he confidently responded: About an hour. His estimate was spot on!

Making Quick Work of Two Short Stacks

Two players came back tonight with very short stacks, starting the play with about ten big blinds. While there is sometimes drama in poker tournaments, with short stacks doubling up several times, there was nothing of the sort this time around.

It only took Mizrachi two hands to send both of these players to the rail.

First to go was Kenny Hallaert, who picked up A♥Q♣ on the very first deal and moved all in for about eight big blinds. If you followed the action last night, you know that this hand wasn’t particularly lucky for short stacks, and that wasn’t about to change.

Mizrachi picked up K♦J♦ in the big blind, made an easy call, and spiked a Jack on the turn to finish Kenny’s Main Event run.

On the very next hand, “The Grinder” moved in from the small blind, attacking the short stack of Braxton Dunaway. Dunaway decided to try his luck with 10♥6♥ and made the call for about nine bigs, but he was up against it as Mizrachi turned over A♦10♦.

This time, Michael was well in front and needed to dodge just a few outs, which he did successfully, moving the tournament to its final stage.

Hallaert and Dunaway picked up $3,000,000 and $4,000,000, respectively, for their amazing runs.

A Mountain to Climb

After only two hands, John Wasnock, the chip leader to start the final table yesterday, was the only player left to try and stop Mizrachi. But with “The Grinder” holding a better than five-to-one chip lead and having loads more experience in these types of situations, Wasnock was facing quite a challenge.

The two exchanged a few blows, but Mizrachi wasn’t about to let this one slip. While Wasnock picked up a few pots, he wasn’t able to increase his stack at any point over the next 15 or so hands.

And then, on hand 79, just 19 hands into the final table, it was all over.

Wasnock min-raised from the button, making it 5,000,000 with A♠9♦, and Mizrachi defended his big blind with 10♣3♣. The flop came A♦9♣7♣, giving Wasnock two pair and “The Grinder” a flush draw.

Both players checked the flop, and they saw the turn of 4♣. Mizrachi check-raised Wasnock’s 10,000,000 bet to 30,000,000. Wasnock then moved all-in for 70,500,000, and “The Grinder” snapped him off with his flush.

The river did not bring an ace or a nine to fill up John Wasnock, and it was all over. Michael Mizrachi became the 2025 WSOP Main Event Champion, pocketing $10,000,000. Wasnock gets $6,000,000 for his runner-up finish.

A Surprise Hall of Fame Induction

Sometimes, it’s just destiny! Over the course of the Main Event, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi was all in and behind for his tournament life several times. He was saved by a runner-runner a couple of times. It just seemed like this particular bracelet had his name on it, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

This doesn’t take away anything from Mizrachi’s stellar performance. Once he managed to double up yesterday, with his AK coming out ahead of Wasnock’s pocket kings, he demonstrated perfectly how to utilize a big stack in high-pressure situations.

To beat a tournament with almost 10,000 players, you have to get quite lucky quite a few times. But if there is such a thing as “deserve” in poker, “The Grinder” certainly deserved to have his sun run.

But this wasn’t the end. After his win, Mizrachi was also admitted into the Poker Hall of Fame without having to wait another year for the usual process. This was something a few of his fellow players and HoF members called for in days to come, and it happened. “The Grinder” was long overdue for this honor, so it’s hard to see anyone having an issue with him “skipping the line.”

2025 WSOP Main Event Final Table Results