Highlights from day 33 of the 2012 WSOP (June 28)
From the many thousands of participants who have attended the World Series of Poker in the past two years, the record of Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi (pictured left) stands alone. Consider his WSOP accomplishments over just the past two years:
• May 28, 2010 – Won his first WSOP gold bracelet in the $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship, for $1,559,046
• June 3, 2010 – Sixth place in the $10,000 buy-in Seven-Card Stud World Championship
• June 15, 2010 – Eighth place in the $10,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em World Championship
• November 9, 2010 – Fifth place in the $10,000 buy-in Main Event Championship, which paid $2,332,992
• June 27, 2011 – Second place in the $2,500 buy-in Mixed-Split Omaha/Seven-Card Stud event
• October 12, 2011 – Won his second gold bracelet in the 10,400 Euro buy-in Split-Format event at WSOP Europe, good for 336,008 euros (about $420,000)
• May 29, 2011 – Fifth place in the 1500 buy-in Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split event
• June 15, 2012 – Fourth place in the $1500 buy-in Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball event
• June 28, 2012 – Won his third gold bracelet in the $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship, for $1,451,527
That’s three gold bracelet victories, nine final table appearances, a deep run into the Main Event as one of the “November Nine,” and about $5 million in prize money earned within a two-year span.
And he just won one of the game’s most prestigious titles for the second time in three years. Mizrachi rose to yet another level when he triumphed in this year’s Poker Players Championship
Now, the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy has Mizrachi’s name in duplicate. Two years following a monumental personal and professional breakthrough victory in this same event played back in 2010, Mizrachi turned everyone else’s dreams to dust. He dominated the final two sessions of the five-day marathon, holding the chip lead most of the way.
His final table included a tough line-up. Mizrachi overcame former gold bracelet winners Bill Chen and Andy Bloch. He also defeated the respected Chris Klodnicki in heads-up play.
Perhaps just as remarkable was the manner in which the victory took place – in a lightning quick five hours, well under the marathon times posted for this event over each of the past six years. Unlike previous finales, which dragged out at 12, 13, 14, and (in 2009) 16 hours, Mizrachi acted as though he had 8pm dinner reservations.
• Steven Loube won Event #47, the $1500 $1500 Pot-Limit Omaha High-Low Split which paid $267,345 in prizemoney. Loube is a 34-year-old attorney from Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to making this trip to Las Vegas, his largest in-the-money finish came when he was awarded $50 at a home game.
Kenny Hsiung, a 29-year-old player from Henderson, won the $3000 buy-in Limit Hold’em tournament, which was classified as Event #48. Hsiung not only received the game’s most coveted prize, the gold bracelet, but $165,205 in prize money, as well. This was his WSOP cash.
• Additional reporting, Nolan Dalla, WSOP.com
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