Michael Mizrachi 2010 WSOPThe World Series of Poker changed things up this year, replacing the $50K buy-in H.O.R.S.E tournament with a mixed game event billed at the Player’s Championship. This tournament was played in the 8-game mixed format during the preliminary rounds and then concluded with a No Limit Holdem (NLHE) final table. After five days of play it was Michael “the Grinder” Mizrachi standing victorious snapping photos with his $1,559,046 first place prize money, his first career WSOP bracelet and the coveted Chip Reese Memorial Trophy.

This $50K Buy-in WSOP Event 2: “The Player’s Championship” attracted 116 entrants that combined for a field consisting of the “who is who” of high-stakes poker. It took four days for a final table to be determined and this occurred when Nick Shulman’s starting hand of 2-5-6 improved to only a pair of deuces with no low and fell to John Juanda’s four-to-eight straight.

The final table of eight was no set which looked as follows:

Seat 1: David Baker – 3,095,000
Seat 2: Mikael Thuritz – 2,300,000
Seat 3: Vladimir Schmelev – 1,925,000
Seat 4: John Juanda – 2,620,000
Seat 5: Daniel Alaei – 1,705,000
Seat 6: Michael Mizrachi – 2,620,000
Seat 7: David Oppenheim – 460,000
Seat 8: Robert Mizrachi – 3,125,000

Mizrachi Brothers Make WSOP Final Table

Each are accomplished poker pros with 31-year old Robert Mizrachi having $3 million in career tournament winnings and a WSOP bracelet from a 2007 PLO event under his belt, and 29-year old Michael Mizrachi having $7 million in career winnings a multiple WPT titles and a player of the year (POTY) title under his. Despite their strong accomplishments coming into the event it is quite a remarkable for two brothers to make the final table together in one of the most prestigious poker tournaments that will be played this year.

Michael Mizachi Final Table Run

Michael played well over the course of the final table and with five players to go faced what had to be an emotional situation when his brother Robert moved all-in with A-T for 456K. Priced in Michael made the call tabling QJ. A turned pair of jacks and no help on the river gave Michael Mizrachi the winning hand sending his brother to the rail in 5th place.

“Inside, to me, I didn’t know if I wanted to win or if I wanted him to win,” Michael Mizrachi said. “It was a feeling I never felt before because I’ve never knocked him out of a tournament.”

To get to heads up play the Grinder also stopped David Oppenheim, a 37-year-old cash game professional from Calabasas, Calif from completing a Cinderella like run. Oppenheim came into the final table as a short stack with less than 2.5% of the chips in play, yet managed to battle his way back and was one card away from taking the chip lead with three players to go. However when a river queen fell, he was eliminated by Mizrachi who now had the chip lead going into heads up play.

After six hands of play it looked like it would be 37-year banker Vladimir Schmelev of St. Petersburg, Russia taking this one down, as he quickly overcame the chip deficit to draw to a 3-to-1 chip lead. However with some encouragement and motivation from Mike Mattusow and other pros on the rail, the grinder battled back and finally sealed the deal capturing his first career WSOP bracelet and the $1,559,046 first place prize money.

Michael Mizrachi also becomes the third winner of the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy which was introduced to the WSOP in 2008.

2010 WSOP Event 2 Final Table Result

1st: Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi – $1,559,046
2nd: Vladimir Schmelev – $963,375
3rd: David Oppenheim – $603,348
4th: John Juanda – $436,865
5th: Robert Mizrachi – $341,429
6th: David Baker – $272,275
7th: Daniel Alaei – $221,105
8th: Mikael Thuritz – $182,463

Poker-Prop.net congratulates Michael Mizarchi on his victory and his first career WSOP bracelet.