Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi can finally add the title of World Series of Poker main event winner to one of the most prolific résumés in professional poker history.
Mizrachi captured his eighth WSOP bracelet, tying him for the fifth most all time, and his first in the main event by eliminating John Wasnock in heads-up poker Wednesday afternoon. Mizrachi took home the $10 million first prize from a pool of over $90.5 million compiled from 9,735 players, making it the third-largest main event in WSOP history. Wasnock, a nonprofessional player and investment banker, finished with $6 million in winnings.
Mizrachi won the final hand with a club flush that included a four, his lucky number.
“I had a lot of faith. My favorite hand’s 44, I’m 44 years old. This was all meant to be,” Mizrachi said. “This is the best day of my life.”
The 2025 final table moved at a torrid pace, taking just 80 hands to complete from start to finish, the fewest since at least 2015.
Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi won his eighth World Series of Poker bracelet and his first in the main event. He won the final hand with a club flush. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP
One pivotal hand from Tuesday’s action would prove to be the decider for the rest of the game. With ace-king, Mizrachi went all-in against Wasnock’s pocket kings and spiked an ace on the river, instantly flipping the chip lead from Wasnock to Mizrachi, who ended the day holding 76% of the chips over the remaining four players.
The rapid play continued into Wednesday, when Kenny Hallaert busted on the first hand of the afternoon and Braxton Dunaway busted on the second, both against Mizrachi.
The 2025 tournament was also notable for the presence of Leo Margets, the second woman in WSOP main event history to play at the final table and first since Barbara Enright in 1995. Margets finished in seventh place with $1.5 million, the largest cash prize by a woman in WSOP history.
Mizrachi surpassed $20 million in career WSOP earnings and $29 million overall with his victory, giving him the most career earnings of any WSOP main event winner ever, per ESPN Research. Earlier in the summer, Mizrachi won his fourth $50K Poker Players Championship bracelet, the most all time.
To top it all off, during the celebration of Mizrachi’s first main event triumph, members of the Poker Hall of Fame announced he would be its newest member.