Michael Mizrachi

Biography

Michael Mizrachi learned to play poker from his older brother, Robert. Robert showed his younger brother the ropes and helped him cut his teeth. Before long, Michael was working his way through the limits online becoming more and more successful. “The Grinder” got his nickname for having a solid, consistent style of play; always steadily “grinding” his way through tournament fields.

When he realized he could make some real serious money playing, Michael let his aspirations of becoming a doctor take the back seat to poker. He dropped out of college to play full time.

He made his name known in the poker community towards the end of 2004 and beginning of 2005. In December of 2004, The Grinder won an event at the Five-Diamond World Poker Classic II and followed that up with a fifth-place finish at the WPT’s World Poker Open. Just about a month later, Mizrachi grinded back to another WPT final table in the L.A. Poker Classic. This time around, he won the first place prize of over $1.8 million.

2005 also saw Mizrachi cash seven times at the WSOP. This seemed to be all the momentum he needed to carry into the next year. Michael placed second at the Goldstrike World Poker Open and then a few days later won the Borgata Winter Open. Combined, he took home over $1.7 million for those two finishes.

Cashes piled on year after year for The Grinder, but despite all his tournament success, he was yet to win a World Series of Poker bracelet. Michael came close in 2008 when he held the chip lead going into the final table of the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship, but ended up finishing third. But hen in 2010, Mizrachi finally won his first bracelet in the $50,000 Player's Championship event, winning $1,559,046, with his older brother, Robert Mizrachi, finishing 5th in the same event. Michael then proceeded to make the November Nine of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event where he placed 5th for $2,332,992.

Mizrachi has also been featured on the television show High Stakes Poker. He’s a regular along the tournament circuit worldwide and over $9.6 million in career winnings.