Michael Mizrachi Busts Two Players in First Two Hands at WSOP Main Event Final Table

Michael Mizrachi started the final day of the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event as hot as he did on Tuesday.

“The Grinder” returned to action inside the Horseshoe Events Center at 2 p.m. (3 p.m. on the PokerGO livestream) on Wednesday with a massive chip lead. Two players entered the finale with 10 big blinds or less, and they were both eliminated within the first two hands by … you guessed it, Mizrachi.

Can Mizrachi Ever Be Stopped?

The first hand at the final table brought about the first elimination. Kenny Hallaert, the sixth-place finisher in 2016, moved all in for 19,000,000 with A♥Q♣. Mizrachi, who started the session with 445,500,000, made a standard call with K♦J♦ in the big blind.

Hallaert wasn’t concerned with the 10♠5♠4♠ flop. But the J♣ on the turn left him drawing to nine outs. None of those outs came on the river, which was the 9♠. Neither player had a spade, and Hallaert was out in fourth place for $3,000,000, a career-best score for the PokerStars Pro.

Braxton Dunaway then took his shot at a double-up. Mizrachi, the small blind with A♦10♦, put the new small stack all in for 23,000,000 effective, and Dunaway made the call with 10♥6♥.

The flop came out Q♦4♦K♣, leaving Dunaway drawing nearly dead. He’d pick up no help on the 4♠ turn card, and then was eliminated by the 4♦ river that completed the nut flush draw. Dunaway took fourth place out of 9,735 entrants in the $10,000 buy-in tournament, good for $4,000,000.

World Series of Poker staff then paused the tournament briefly to bring the $10,000,000 winner prop money onto the table before heads-up play began. Mizrachi would start play with 491,000,000 chips to John Wasnock’s 93,500,000. Both players are guaranteed at least $6,000,000.

Mizrachi is attempting to become the first player to win the two most prestigious tournaments in the same year: The WSOP Main Event and the $50,000 WSOP Poker Players Championship. He’s won the PPC a record four times, including in 2010, the same year he last reached the Main Event final table (fifth place).

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