Hellmuth, Negreanu Call for Mizrachi's Immediate Poker HOF Induction

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Jul 15, 2025 3 min read Last updated Jul 16, 2025

No waiting until the voting process takes place next June. Put him in now.

That's what Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu say about getting Michael Mizrachi, who could be less than 24 hours away from winning the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, into the Poker Hall of Fame.

Hellmuth, who feuded with Nick Palma during a WSOP event over an unrelated issue Tuesday night, shared a video on X with his buddy Negreanu discussing "The Grinder's" Hall of Fame credentials.

Special Exemption for Poker Legend?

Mizrachi, who became eligible for the PHOF at age 40 in 2021, has been among the 10 finalists in the past. But he wasn't even nominated this year. Nick Schulman was the player voted in last week and celebrated at a ceremony.

The selection of Schulman, a seven-time bracelet winner and popular poker commentator, didn't cause any controversy. Many poker fans applauded the vote. But Mizrachi is potentially one day away from doing the unthinkable — winning the two most prestigious tournaments in the world, in the same year.

Negreanu and Hellmuth, both Poker Hall of Famers, showered Mizrachi, who holds a massive chip lead with four players left in the Main Event, with praise. The "Poker Brat" discussed the HOF issue in a brief video on X.

"We all agree that if Grinder wins tomorrow, he should snap go into the Hall of Fame, and Daniel and I are really pushing for this, right Daniel?" Hellmuth said before putting Negreanu on camera.

"The Grinder should have been in already. The guy's a legend and an icon. He's exactly what poker needs, a guy that proves you can have fun, enjoy the game, don't take it too seriously, and dominate. And that's what he's been doing for decades," Negreanu responded.

Mizrachi will have around 75 percent of the chips in play when the WSOP Main Event resumes with the final day on Wednesday. He's guaranteed at least $3,000,000, but is chasing the $10,000,000 first-place prize and the gold bracelet.

Doing the Unthinkable

The Grinder, a seven-time bracelet winner and two-time World Poker Tour (WPT) champion, has already pulled off arguably the two most impressive accomplishments in tournament poker history: winning the Poker Players Championship four times (2010, 2012, 2018, and 2025) and the other reaching the WSOP Main Event final table in the same year he won the PPC twice (2010 and 2025). Winning the Main Event would be the cherry on top of what has already been an improbable run.

Mizrachi was down to less than four big blinds on Day 8, but spun it up to reach the final table second in chips. He completely obliterated the competition and ran pure on Tuesday to put himself in a heavy-favorite position. There are no guarantees in no-limit hold'em. Stranger things have happened. But Mizrachi is certainly going to be tough to rally against.

The Poker Hall of Fame only inducts one player or industry person per year, and the voting process occurs in June. It's too late for the voters to reconsider. But if Hellmuth and Negreanu have any pull, perhaps an exemption will be made to send the potential 2025 world champion into the HOF immediately.

Asked by PokerNews prior to the final table about his chances of Hall of Fame induction and whether missing out next year would feel like a snub, he said:

"I really felt like it was locked in after the fourth time in the PPC. This is just another level. If it doesn’t happen, it just motivates me even more," Mizrachi responded.

He might not have to wait until next year, if Hellmuth, who called for Mizrachi to be inducted during the Main Event, gets his way.

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• Tags Michael Mizrachi Daniel Negreanu Phil Hellmuth WSOP WSOP25 World Series of Poker
• Related Tournaments World Series of Poker
• Related Players Daniel NegreanuPhil HellmuthMichael Mizrachi