How confident is Michael Mizrachi in his poker playing skills?
Moments after becoming the first two-time winner of the World Series of Poker’s Players Championship event Thursday night, Mizrachi went to the tournament’s cashier’s cage at the Rio and transferred $1 million from his $1.45 million winnings to pay his entry in Sunday’s “Big One for One Drop” No- Limit Hold’em event. It also helped that Mizrachi, 31, had secured some $900,000 in financial commitments from backers willing to wager that he could win the special event’s potential top prize of more than $18 million.
“I was already thinking about buying into the million dollar event a week ago,” Mizrachi said shortly after defeating Chris Klodnicki in heads-up play at the $50,000 buy-in Players Championship. “As a poker player, it’s something you want to compete in. I’m sure everybody wants a piece of me now. We’re sold-out.”
Mizrachi is no longer considered the heir apparent as poker’s next superstar.
Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi of Miami became the first two-time winner of the $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship on Thursday night at the Rio in the World Series of Poker, dominating the field to earn $1.45 million.
Mizrachi, 31, who won the event in 2010, collected his third career World Series of Poker individual event championship bracelet, and ran his career earnings at the tournament to almost $7 million over 29 in-the-money finishes.
The event, considered the tournament’s second-most coveted title after the Main Event, drew a field of 108 competitors. Mizrachi became the first person to have his name engraved twice on the Chip Reese Trophy, named for the late winner of the inaugural event in 2006.
Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi wins the Poker Players Championship Photo: Jay “WhoJedi” Newnum
Today’s WSOP Bracelet Boxscore
Henry Lu $654,380 – Event #43 $1,500 No Limit Hold’em
Rocco Palumbo $464,464 – Event #44 $1,000 No Limit Hold’em
Michael Mizrazchi $1,451,527 – Event #45 $50,000 Players Championship
Joey Weissman $694,609 – Event #46 $2,500 No Limit Hold’em
It was a good day to be a grinder, or The Grinder.
Thursday’s noon tournament was a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em event which drew a fat number of 1,001 players for an increase of 15% over last year. First place will nab just south of seven figures and the winner will have to get through a very deep field. 2011 November Niner Matt Giannetti was the early leader on dinner break. Fun table of Day 1 included Brandon Meyers, Peter Eastgate, Noah Schwartz, Eric Froehlich, Darryll Fish, Allen Kessler, and Layne Flack. It was a battle to just get a word in.
Probably the toughest field each year is on display during the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. 108 players entered the event five long days ago and it was Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi who would become the first two-time winner of the Chip Reese Trophy. The field didn’t make it into the money until late on Day 4 with Benjamin Yu as the unfortunate bubble boy (after torturing Phil Hellmuth all of Day 3).
The Grinder beat Chris Klodnicki heads up and grabbed just $1,451,527 for his win. There will be some happy club owners tonight.
Link Dump
Tweet(s) of the Day – It’s not often I find myself agreeing 100% with Negreanu, but this is a no brainer. I always agree with Maridu, so I tacked on an earlier tweet so it will be stuck in your head next time you walk outside in the hot, Vegas wind.
Also if you are a male considering playing the WSOP ladies event on Friday please know you are a douchebag and I hope you end up homeless.
Enough. Either you get it or you don’t. If you’re female you play the ladies event, if you’re male you don’t. If you’re a male douche you do — Maria Mayrinck (@Maridu) June 26, 2012
103degrees yesterday, 104 today. It’s supposed to be 110 on tuesday. The night breeze is like a dragon farting in your face. #ILOVEIT! — Maria Mayrinck (@Maridu) June 18, 2012
Should Men Be Allowed to Play in the Ladies Event? – I guess that question has to be asked, even though the answer is pretty obvious to most civilized folk. BLUFF asked the question and everyone agreed. But I suspected we’ll be publishing a list of tools who did it anyway. Don’t be a douche.
$25k WSOP Fantasy Update – PokerListing has your $25k WSOP Fantasy Update so you can sweat the action of team who can throw around $25k like they are singles at a G-Vegas strip club. Jason Mercier’s team has the lead but Robert Mizrachi will make a big jump with The Grinder’s win.
EU Event Discusses Online Gaming – Great news for online poker in Europe, meanwhile we’re still at the mercy of our nanny state to keep us away from the great evil of online gaming.
QuadJacks: Women in PokerPoker player and chess master (plus a good South Philly girl) Jennifer Shahade sat down with QuadJack to discuss women in poker.
Be sure to check out our new sponsors at Face Up Gaming. Legal, subscription-based online poker with plenty of great prizes including cash, WSOP seats, and poker trips. Sign up with Bonus Code pokerati.
This is likely the slowest week on the poker tournament scene that you’ll see all year. After the conclusion of the World Series of Poker Eastern Regional Championship, there were no other tournament circuits with even preliminary events on the docket. Once we get beyond a week into the new year, we’ll find one of the biggest stops of the year, the PCA, as well as another stop on the WSOPC.
World Series of Poker Eastern Regional Championship – Harrah’s Atlantic City (Atlantic City, New Jersey)
The final table for this $10,000 was an interesting mix of circuit grinders and young guns, including WSOP bracelet winner Chris Bell, 2009 WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Champion Chris Klodnicki, and 5 players who had made the final table of a WSOP event in Las Vegas. Also in the field was red hot Andy Frankenberger, who has over $1 million in tournament cashes this year.
Day 1 chip leader Vanessa Selbst failed to make the money after losing a monster pot to Klodnicki on Day 2. Beth Shak finished in 11th, while Matthew Waxman, who previously won the $1,650 “Main Event” earlier in the series, qualifying for the National Championship in the process, finished tenth to the delight of the final nine, who will now join him in the $1 million freeroll in 2011.
Heads-up play got down to Klodnicki and Bell, and when the dust had settled, it was Bell capturing the title and over $350,000. He bookends a year that started off with some admitted financial troubles, followed by the surreal moment during the World Series of Poker in which he and good friend Gavin Smith each captured their first bracelet within days of each other.
I would like to take the time to thank each and every one of you who has taken the time to read this column this year, and I hope you will continue to in the new year, as things should only continue to get better.
