Michael Mizrachi
Encyclopedia
Michael David Mizrachi (born January 5, 1981) is an American
professional poker
player who won the 2010 World Series of Poker
$50,000 Players Championship.. Mizrachi also has two World Poker Tour Titles, and finished 5th in the Main Event of the 2010 World Series of Poker
.
. He is the younger brother of Robert Mizrachi
who has numerous WSOP and WPT finishes to his own name. He has a twin brother Eric Mizrachi (also a poker player) and a younger brother, Donnie, who is a professional magician
. Mizrachi is fluent in Hebrew, as his father is of Iraqi Jewish origin. Growing up, Mizrachi wanted to become a doctor
but dropped out of college
to play poker full-time.
Mizrachi is married to Aidiliy, has one son, Paul William (named after his grandfather) and a daughter named Julie Malka ("queen" in Hebrew
). He currently lives in Miramar, Florida
. He purchased a motor home out of his poker winnings which he used to keep his family near him when he was on the road, but eventually sold it as it was depreciating
in value. In early 2010, a federal tax lien in the amount of $339,711 was filed against Mizrachi for unpaid taxes related to his earnings from 2005 to 2007. Mizrachi also had two residential properties in Florida foreclosed on including a condominium he owned with his brother, Robert.
Mizrachi got his nickname “The Grinder” for having a solid, consistent style of play; always steadily “grinding” his way through tournament fields.
In the 2005 World Series of Poker
(WSOP), Mizrachi tied a record by having seven money finishes in the one year. In the 2008 World Series of Poker
, he finished third in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship. In 2010, Mizrachi won his first bracelet in the The Poker Player's Championship
, winning $1,559,046. Coincidentally, his brother Robert Mizrachi
finished 5th in the same event. Later that year, Mizrachi also made the November Nine in the Main Event. He would go on to finish 5th, earning $2,332,992, and was eliminated by eventual winner Jonathan Duhamel
. Despite his strong performance at the 2010 WSOP, Frank Kassela
was awarded the Player of the Year award based on the pre-existing scoring system. This was controversial because some felt that Mizrachi's year was better, which resulted in a refinement of the scoring system. Mizrachi's success in 2010 led to ESPN
poker announcer Norman Chad
labelling it "The Year of The Grinder".
In 2011, Mizrachi just missed winning another WSOP title when he took 2nd in the $2,500 Omaha/Stud Eight or Better event for $ 158,148.
In January 2005, Mizrachi finished fifth in the World Poker Tour
(WPT) World Poker Open at a table also featuring Daniel Negreanu
and Scotty Nguyen
. The next month he won a first prize of $1,859,909 at the L.A. Poker Classic, defeating a final table including Ted Forrest
and Erick Lindgren
. He also finished 11th place(out of 452 entrants) in the $25,000 WPT Championship.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player who won the 2010 World Series of Poker
2010 World Series of Poker
The 2010 World Series of Poker was the 41st annual World Series of Poker , held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ran from May 28 to July 17. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Championship that began on July 5...
$50,000 Players Championship.. Mizrachi also has two World Poker Tour Titles, and finished 5th in the Main Event of the 2010 World Series of Poker
2010 World Series of Poker
The 2010 World Series of Poker was the 41st annual World Series of Poker , held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ran from May 28 to July 17. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Championship that began on July 5...
.
Personal life
Mizrachi was born in Miami, FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He is the younger brother of Robert Mizrachi
Robert Mizrachi
Robert Mizrachi is an American professional poker player.Robert Mizrachi was a former poker dealer at a South Miami casino...
who has numerous WSOP and WPT finishes to his own name. He has a twin brother Eric Mizrachi (also a poker player) and a younger brother, Donnie, who is a professional magician
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
. Mizrachi is fluent in Hebrew, as his father is of Iraqi Jewish origin. Growing up, Mizrachi wanted to become a doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
but dropped out of college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
to play poker full-time.
Mizrachi is married to Aidiliy, has one son, Paul William (named after his grandfather) and a daughter named Julie Malka ("queen" in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
). He currently lives in Miramar, Florida
Miramar, Florida
Miramar is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city was named after the Miramar district of Havana, Cuba. As of the 2010 census, the population was 122,041...
. He purchased a motor home out of his poker winnings which he used to keep his family near him when he was on the road, but eventually sold it as it was depreciating
Depreciation
Depreciation refers to two very different but related concepts:# the decrease in value of assets , and# the allocation of the cost of assets to periods in which the assets are used ....
in value. In early 2010, a federal tax lien in the amount of $339,711 was filed against Mizrachi for unpaid taxes related to his earnings from 2005 to 2007. Mizrachi also had two residential properties in Florida foreclosed on including a condominium he owned with his brother, Robert.
Poker
Mizrachi is a distinguished and successful poker player who in 2006 won CardPlayer Magazine's Player of the Year Award.Mizrachi got his nickname “The Grinder” for having a solid, consistent style of play; always steadily “grinding” his way through tournament fields.
Tournaments
As of 2010, Mizrachi's live tournament winnings exceed $11,300,000. His 25 cashes at the WSOP account for $5,085,725 of those winnings.World Series of Poker
In the 2005 World Series of Poker
2005 World Series of Poker
The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the...
(WSOP), Mizrachi tied a record by having seven money finishes in the one year. In the 2008 World Series of Poker
2008 World Series of Poker
The 2008 World Series of Poker was the 39th annual World Series of Poker . Held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, the series began on May 30, 2008, and featured 55 poker championships in several variants. All events but the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Texas hold...
, he finished third in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship. In 2010, Mizrachi won his first bracelet in the The Poker Player's Championship
The Poker Player's Championship
The Poker Player's Championship is a $50,000 buy-in event at the World Series of Poker . Added in 2010, it replaced the former $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship as the highest-stakes mixed games event. As of 2011, it is the highest-buy-in poker tournament featured at the WSOP...
, winning $1,559,046. Coincidentally, his brother Robert Mizrachi
Robert Mizrachi
Robert Mizrachi is an American professional poker player.Robert Mizrachi was a former poker dealer at a South Miami casino...
finished 5th in the same event. Later that year, Mizrachi also made the November Nine in the Main Event. He would go on to finish 5th, earning $2,332,992, and was eliminated by eventual winner Jonathan Duhamel
Jonathan Duhamel
Jonathan Duhamel is a Canadian poker professional from Boucherville, Quebec, best known as the winner of the Main Event at the 2010 World Series of Poker . He is the first Canadian player to capture the Main Event bracelet....
. Despite his strong performance at the 2010 WSOP, Frank Kassela
Frank Kassela
Frank Kassela is an American professional poker player from Germantown, Tennessee now residing in Las Vegas, who is a two time World Series of Poker bracelet winner. He won both of his bracelets at the 2010 World Series of Poker. First in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better...
was awarded the Player of the Year award based on the pre-existing scoring system. This was controversial because some felt that Mizrachi's year was better, which resulted in a refinement of the scoring system. Mizrachi's success in 2010 led to ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
poker announcer Norman Chad
Norman Chad
Norman Chad is an American sportswriter and syndicated columnist who is seen on the sports channel ESPN. He also was an occasional guest host on the ESPN show Pardon the Interruption and has appeared as both host and movie critic on the ESPN Classic series Reel Classics.He writes a weekly...
labelling it "The Year of The Grinder".
In 2011, Mizrachi just missed winning another WSOP title when he took 2nd in the $2,500 Omaha/Stud Eight or Better event for $ 158,148.
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 World Series of Poker The 2010 World Series of Poker was the 41st annual World Series of Poker , held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ran from May 28 to July 17. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Championship that began on July 5... |
$50,000 The Poker Player's Championship | $1,559,046 |
| 2011 WSOPE 2011 World Series of Poker Europe The fifth World Series of Poker Europe takes place from October 7, 2011 to October 20, 2011. There are seven bracelet events, culminating in the €10,400 WSOPE Championship No-Limit Hold'em event. Events will be held at the Majestic Barrière Cannes and the Le Croisette Casino Barrière in Cannes,... |
€10,400 No Limit Hold'em (Split Format) | €336,008 |
World Poker Tour
In January 2005, Mizrachi finished fifth in the World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
(WPT) World Poker Open at a table also featuring Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu is a Canadian professional poker player. He has won four World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour Championship titles. He is currently ranked second in the all-time career earnings list and is the star of poker game show Million Dollar Challenge. He plays a big...
and Scotty Nguyen
Scotty Nguyen
Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a five time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Event and the 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship...
. The next month he won a first prize of $1,859,909 at the L.A. Poker Classic, defeating a final table including Ted Forrest
Ted Forrest
Ted Forrest is an American professional poker player, currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada.- Tournament Wins:...
and Erick Lindgren
Erick Lindgren
Erick A. Lindgren is an American professional poker player. He has won two World Poker Tour titles, one World Series of Poker bracelet, and more than seven million dollars in tournament earnings during his poker career.-Poker career:He won his first major tournament at the Bellagio in 2002 and...
. He also finished 11th place(out of 452 entrants) in the $25,000 WPT Championship.