Grinder's road to fame
Mizrachi was the second chip leader at the final table, behind only Kenny Hallaert of Belgium. Hallaert had a strong showing in the 2016 Main Event. Mizrachi quickly settled in and started doing what he does best.
Daehyung Lee was the first player to be eliminated when his eights clashed with Mizrachi's tens. After that, Mizrachi never looked back. With five players left, he was the chip leader and put pressure on the lower chip holders.
Heads-Up Showdown: Mizrachi v Wasnock
Few people knew about John Wasnock from America, the last hurdle of the game. He surprised everyone with a strong and deep game that came at the right time.
After a quiet game, Wasnock, who used to work in finance but now plays poker just for fun, had a great chance to win it all.
At the start of heads-up play, Mizrachi had a huge 4-to-1 chip advantage. But there was still hope for Wasnock.
His top pair withstood Mizrachi's missed straight draw at the start of the hand, giving him a decisive double advantage. Many people stood up from their seats, and that hand brought the final battle to life.
Wasnock briefly pulled ahead and took advantage, forcing Mizrachi to surrender several times, which was unusual for him. Anyone could have come out ahead and won the bracelet.
However, Mizrachi went to work, slowing down and slowly reducing Wasnock's chip stack. He avoided taking big risks and used his years of experience to slowly exhaust his opponent.
The last hand
With 5โ 8โฃ 9โฃ 4โฆ 2โฆ on the board, both players only had high cards, but Mizrachi's Aโ Jโฆ defeated Wasnock's KโฅQโฅto make him the 2025 WSOP Main Event winner. Mizrachi raised his hand in triumph and Wasnock won $6 million for his second place finish.
It was a memorable night for Wasnock, as his success cemented his name in the poker world.
Induction into the Hall of Fame
After winning the Main Event, Mizrachi's night could not have been better. In front of a huge Rio crowd, he was officially inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
In the same year, he won the WSOP Main Event and the famous $50,000 Poker Players Championship.
WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart was undaunted: “This could be the most spectacular thing in poker history.”
After his victory, Mizrachi wrote X:
I want to thank all my family, friends, fans and all the staff @WSOP. This is the biggest accomplishment of my career. I wouldn't be able to do it without all of you. Love you all so much and G-D Bless. #TeamMizrachi #WSOP pic.twitter.com/LP5BSXkA64
– Michael Mizrachi – The Grinder (@TheGrinder44) July 18, 2025
2025 WSOP Main Event final table payouts
| Venue | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Michael Mizrachi | US | $10,000,000 |
| 2. | John Wasnock | US | $6,000,000 |
| 3. | Braxton Dunaway | US | $4,000,000 |
| 4. | Kenny Hallaert | Belgium | $3,000,000 |
| 5. | Luka Bojovic | Serbia | $2,400,000 |
| 6. | Adam Hendrix | US | $1,900,000 |
| 7. | Leo Margets | Spain | $1,500,000 |
| 8. | Jarod Minghini | Us | $1,250,000 |
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