Comeback for The Grinder? Mizrachi Gets Off the Canvas in WSOP Main Event
"It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"
Michael Mizrachi is best known as ‘The Grinder,’ but Rocky may well be just as fitting after staging a remarkable comeback from near elimination during a stunning session of poker on Day 8 of the WSOP Main Event.
The seven-time bracelet winner, who captured his fourth Poker Players Championship earlier this summer, was on the canvas with just 1,900,000 chips, around 3 big blinds, early this afternoon. But in true Balboa style, he has battled back to 38,400,000 (48 big blinds) in just a few hours as the field redrew to the final two tables at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Mizrachi is chasing an unparalleled achievement in WSOP history as he seeks to capture both the $50,000 Poker Player's Championship and a maiden $10,000 Main Event World Championship, two of the summer's most prestigious events.
Check out some of the hands from Mizrachi's gutsy fightback, as captured by PokerNews' Connor Richards & Christian Zetzsche:
Mizrachi on Fumes
Mizrachi would open-jam from a stack of 11,400,000 from under the gun, with John Wasnock calling behind in the hijack with slightly less.
John Wasnock: A♦Q♦
Michael Mizrachi: A♠J♦
The flop landed A♣3♦10♦ to keep Wasnock ahead with a flush redraw and the board finished out 8♣8♥ to earn him a double with aces and eights and the better kicker.
Mizrachi would drop to just 1,900,000 chips, around three big blinds, with his world championship dreams looking on the brink.
Taking From Dunaway
Putting his tournament life on the line, Mizrachi open-jammed once again from a stack of 2,300,000 in early position and Braxton Dunaway called in the big blind to put the seven-time bracelet winner at risk.
Michael Mizrachi: A♦6♠
Braxton Dunaway: A♣7♥
The Grinder was dominated, but the board ran out K♥8♠5♠J♠A♠ to give him a flush on the river to earn him a much-needed double.
Runner Runner Flush
Dunaway opened to 1,200,000, and Mizrachi three-bet jammed a stack of 7,300,000. Dunaway would make the call to put Mizrachi at risk for what seemed like the hundredth time today.
Michael Mizrachi: K♦J♥
Braxton Dunaway: 5♥5♣
Like the proverbial cat with nine lives, Dunaway just couldn't get Mizrachi as the board ran out 4♦7♦9♥3♦10♦ to once again give him a runner-runner flush for a double.
Scooping Pots on the River
Returning from the break with a much healthier stack of 14,300,000, Mizrachi made it 1,700,000 to go with K♠K♦ and was called by Wasnock in the big blind holding 3♠3♦.
The flop of A♠7♦5♥ would be checked around, before the 5♣ turn led to a bet of 1,800,000 from Wasnock. Mizrachi would make the call.
The river was the J♦, and Wasnock opted to check. Mizrachi bet and his rail had reason to celebrate as Wasnock sent the cards into the muck.
Mizrachi Doubles Through Gregg
Tony Gregg then raised to 1,600,000, and Dunaway called on the button. Michael Mizrachi then pushed all in for 17,800,000.
Michael Mizrachi: Q♥Q♦
Tony Gregg: 9♥9♠
The 10♣3♥2♦ flop kept Mizrachi in the lead and the J♥ turn changed nothing. Mizrachi turned around and lay on the floor, waiting for the outcome of the hand. That was done via the 6♥ river, and Mizrachi doubled once again, leaving Gregg short prior to the two-table redraw.
WSOP Main Event Chip Counts 2 Table Redraw
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Braxton Dunaway | United States | 75,700,000 | 95 |
| 1 | 2 | Kenny Hallaert | Belgium | 40,300,000 | 50 |
| 1 | 3 | Sergio Veloso | Portugal | 24,400,000 | 31 |
| 1 | 4 | Michael Mizrachi | United States | 38,400,000 | 48 |
| 1 | 5 | Tony Gregg | United States | 7,800,000 | 10 |
| 1 | 6 | Maksim Pisarenko | Russian Federation | 25,000,000 | 31 |
| 1 | 7 | Muhamet Perati | Italy | 30,200,000 | 38 |
| 1 | 8 | Jarod Minghini | United States | 24,400,000 | 31 |
| 1 | 9 | Leo Margets | Spain | 41,300,000 | 52 |
| 2 | 1 | Ruben Correia | Portugal | 27,500,000 | 34 |
| 2 | 2 | Luka Bojovic | Serbia | 32,300,000 | 40 |
| 2 | 3 | John Wasnock | United States | 22,200,000 | 28 |
| 2 | 4 | Joey Padron | United States | 41,300,000 | 52 |
| 2 | 5 | Adam Hendrix | United States | 67,000,000 | 84 |
| 2 | 6 | Lautaro Guerra | Spain | 18,000,000 | 23 |
| 2 | 7 | Daehyung Lee | South Korea | 18,700,000 | 23 |
| 2 | 8 | Joseph Ozimok | United States | 30,100,000 | 38 |
| 2 | 9 | Daniel Iachan | United States | 17,400,000 | 22 |
