Mizrachi Grinds Through the Field to Fourth $50K PPC Title and a Seventh Career Bracelet

How the Day Began

Mizrachi came into the day top of the counts as a field of seven returned for the fifth and final day under the lights at the Horseshoe and Paris Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. 

“The Grinder” had almost double the amount of second place, which was bracelet winner Andrew Yeh, with Kenney close behind him in third. 

Photo Credit: Alicia Skillman

Portuguese super-crusher João “Naza114” Viera came in fourth place, slightly ahead of nosebleed cash game regular Albert Daher. There was a small gap between Taylor and Daher, and the clear short stack was top-class all-arounder and multiple bracelet winner Ben Lamb. 

Lamb Scooped and Stacked in Stud Hi-Lo

It took mere minutes to elapse before Lamb hit the rail in a hand of Stud Hi-Lo. He was involved in a four-bet pot with a pure low draw to start versus Daher, who had split kings, Viera with split queens (he completed and folded to the raise,) and Mizrachi with four-five-six.

A pot of 5,275,000 had grown in the middle of the table by the time fifth street had come around. Lamb was all in and Daher had made two pair. Mizrachi continued with his combo draw, and got there on seventh. Lamb missed his lo to chop and Daher’s kings up was no good, leaving Mizrachi with a monster pot to start the session. 

Photo Credit: Alicia Skillman

Daher took back almost instantly from Mizrachi, who paid of Daher who had trip sixes. Mizrachi had two pair, and Daher took a 3,575,000 pot before losing some himself, this time to Kenney. 

Kenney made trip sevens on seventh to scoop as he had locked up the lo as well on sixth street. Daher had aces up, and his hand featured blockers to lo holdings, (3s a 4 and a 6).

Daher’s Draw Downswing and Departure

Kenney and Viera chipped up through 2-7 Triple Draw courtesy of Mizrachi and Taylor. Kenney and Viera also exchanged a small pot, which went the way of the Portuguese National. 

The biggest confrontation came between Taylor and Daher. Taylor three-bet from the big blind versus a raise from Daher in the small, before he took two and she took one. Daher check-called twice as he drew one more on both remaining streets and Taylor stood pat. Taylor then bet with her seven-six, and Daher had to fold his paired holding and was left with dust. 

Photo Credit: Alicia Skillman

He was then eliminated as his last 550,000 found the middle in the first hand of No Limit Hold’em. Mizrachi opened to under the gun to 200,000, Daher raised to 500,000 and Mizrachi asked for the rest with his pocket sixes. Daher had king-jack offsuit and couldn’t bink an over or the straight draw he picked up on flop. 

Mizrachi on a Mission

Mizrachi amped up the pressure during this round of No Limit Holdem, winning multiple hands throughout the round and restablishing his chiplead that slipped a touch during 2-7 Triple Draw. 

He got paid by Kenney with trip fours, which bested Kenney’s two pair of deuces and fours. Mizrachi took from Yeh with the second pair after three-betting small preflop and betting flop and turn.

“The Grinder” didn’t let up there, as he found a creative bluff versus Viera, a bluff that Viera would be proud of if performed himself. 

Mizrachi jammed the river with four-three suited over a bet of 400,000 from Viera, who was in the small blind with jack-three suited, which was good for top pair only. The pot stood at 3,300,000 before the bet was made. Viera tanked and ultimately relinquished his hand, leaving Mizrachi with even more chips.

Stud was next on the menu, and Mizrachi left Viera even shorter. Mizrachi had made a flush on seventh versus Viera’s open jacks, which he bet out on seventh. Mizrachi stuck in a raise, and Viera was forced to fold. Taylor and Kenney were also in the pot, having called the bring-in pre-flop but they folded on fourth and fifth respectively. 

Viera Stacked, Taylor Climbs up the Counts

Viera’s slender stack was then picked off in the last hand of that round of Stud. Mizrachi claimed his chips in a multiway affair with Kenney also involved. 

Mizrachi had the best of it, making aces up across the seven streets. Viera got it in with a pair on fourth, but Mizrachi went runner-runner to pick up two aces on fourth and fifth and deuces across sixth and seventh. Kenney made a pair of nines which wasn’t enough to take the pot. 

Photo Credit: Alicia Skillman

PLO Hi-Lo was next, and it was a good start for Taylor, who three-quartered Kenney for a 1,000,000 chip pot before winning a three-way pot of 2,500,000 versus Kenney and Yeh. She made a flush to scoop the pot as no lo was possible. Yeh was left as the new short stack and had under 3,000,000. 

Razz came around, and Taylor kept chipping up. Taylor got paid with a seven-six by Mizrach,i who had made eight-six by the time seventh street was reached. Each street saw chips enter the pot. 

Mizrachi Runs Away With It, Yeh Falls

PLO was next up, Kenney started by catching Mizrachi bluff with a complete airball as the former rivered trips. 

Mizrachi then had the goods versus Taylor, who also didn’t believe Mizrachi. She found the correct fold with two pair against a full house.

Photo Credit: Alicia Skillman

Yeh hadn’t been able to get much going and his stack had dwindled throughout the evenings play. He got it in with queens and sevens in hand in a three-way pot against Mizrachi and Taylor. “The Grinder” made a pair of aces which was good enough to take the 2,500,000 chip pot. 

Kenney then applied pressure to Taylor in a blind v blind altercation. He managed to push Taylor off a ten-high flush on a paired board by firing the flop and river after the turn was checked down. Kenney had nines and deuces for two pair, with the nines being dealt on the flop. 

The American 1-2-3

Mizrachi crossed the 20,000,000 mark in NL 2-7 Single Draw after drawing one to make an eight-seven versus Kenney. He tried to trap but Kenney paired and it wasn’t sprung as he didn’t put any extra into the pot. 

Kenney and Taylor tussled and chopped up Mizrachi’s chips during a multway pot. The duo drew close to parity at one point before Mizrachi took a chunk of change in 2-7 Triple Draw. 

Both drew three in a button v big blind spot, with Mizrachi dashing three broadway cards and making a seven-six. Kenney made an eight-five draw and bet before calling a raise.

Mizrachi pat and Kenney drew one, both checked, Mizrachi pat and Kenney drew again. Kenney made eight-five and bet. Mizrachi three-bet and Kenney was given the bad news as he made the call. 

“The Grinder” then took from Taylor after he made an eight-seven after drawing one in the first draw and patting twice. “E-TAY” drew one across all draws before check-folding to a final bet with a jack-five. 

Kenney on Crumbs, Taylor Out,  Mizrachi Has Most of the Chips in Play

Kenney was now the clear short-stack, but he doubled through Taylor, who’s buried eights were bested by Kenney’s split kings. These kings became trips on sixth street.

Kenney was then left with dust, having missed an open-ended draw in PLO Hi-Lo and having to check-fold river. He doubled the subsequent hand and moved to over the 2,000,000 mark in the first hand of Razz. 

Taylor and Kenney took from Mizrachi during the Razz round, but he still had 24,275,000 against Taylor’s 4,525,000 and Kenney’s 3,150,000. 

Photo Credit: Spenser Sembrat

Limit Holdem quickly came around, and Taylor took the place of Kenney at the bottom of the pack as he king-eight offsuit couldn’t crack Kenney’s ace-queen offsuit.

Mizrachi could do no wrong. He made a straight on the turn during Limit Holdem and proudly showed it to his tablemates. 

It was then Taylor’s time to depart. She moved all in for around two and a half big blinds in 2-7 Single Draw. She stood pat with a nine-eight, and Kenney drew one and made Number 1 to end Taylor’s historic run in the PPC. 

And Then There Were Two…

Mizrachi had just shy of 30,000,000, and Kenney just over 2,000,000. The duo traded a few pots across NL Single Draw and Stud Hi-Lo but it was 2-7 Triple Draw where the chips found themselves in the middle. 

Kenney called on the button, and Mizrachi checked. He drew two and bet, and Kenney drew three. He raised, and Mizrachi called. Kenney then pat after Mizrachi drew one more. Kenney bet and called after Mizrachi moved him all in.

Mizrachi then pat, which prompted Kenney to break his nine-seven. Mizrachi had a ten-six. Kenney’s hand hit 0% equity when he drew a deuce to pair his holding, and Mizrachi was left in the spotlight as a four-time champion of the PPC, the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy, and a fresh WSOP bracelet to add to his collection. 

Photo Credit: Spenser Sembrat

About the Winner

Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi is a seven time WSOP Bracelet winner and the only player to win the $50,000 Poker Players Championship four times. Mizrachi was born in Miami, Florida in 1981 and is the younger brother of Robert Mizrachi, another bracelet winner and mentor and guide to Michael. 

Photo Credit: Spenser Sembrat

He dropped out of college to pursue poker full time and has never looked back. He has recorded $17,577,500 and is regarded as one of the best overall poker players in the world. 

Poker Players Championship 2025: Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Michael Mizrachi		$1,331,322
2	Bryn Kenney		$887,542
3	Esther Taylor		$595,136
4	Andrew Yeh		$413,740
5	Joao Vieira		$298,614
6	Albert Daher		$224,077
7	Ben Lamb		$175,096