Israeli-American poker pro Michael Mizrachi wins $10M main event at World Series of Poker
Mizrachi wore a dog tag at the table to signify his solidarity with the Israeli hostages in Gaza
Michael Mizrachi at the Epic Poker League Inaugural Season at the Palms Casino Resort on December 18, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(JTA) — Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, an Israeli-American poker champion who has made a name for himself as one of the most prolific players in the game’s history, won the main event title at the World Series of Poker Wednesday.
Mizrachi, a Jewish Florida native, won his eighth World Series of Poker bracelet at the showdown Wednesday, tying him for the fifth most of all time and marking his first win in the competition’s main event. He also took home the $10 million first prize.
“I had a lot of faith. My favorite hand’s 44, I’m 44 years old. This was all meant to be,” Mizrachi told ESPN. “This is the best day of my life.”
For Mizrachi, whose father was born in Israel after his family fled Iraq, representing his Israeli heritage took center stage during his WSOP victory.
During the main event, Mizrachi wore a dog tag around his neck symbolizing his solidarity with the Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas, and also displayed a tattoo of the Israeli flag on his arm.
During the celebration of Mizrachi’s first main event win, members of the Poker Hall of Fame also announced he would be its newest member, according to ESPN, adding him to a long list of Jewish inductees including New York native Erik Seidel and Holocaust survivor Henry Orenstein.
Mizrachi’s victory at WSOP also comes on the tails of another historic win at the prestigious $50,000 Poker Players Championship earlier in the summer where he won his fourth bracelet, the most of all time. At that event following his win, Mizrachi requested that the Israeli national anthem, “Hatikvah,” be played in place of the American anthem.
After winning a WSOP bracelet in July 2024, Mizrachi’s brother, Robert, another poker champion, also requested that the event play “Hatikvah,” according to an interview with the Jewish Journal.
“This year, with everything going on, and all of the heartbreak, as well as the antisemitism, I wanted to represent, to show the world that I stand for Israel,” Robert Mizrachi said at the time.
