WSOP 2025: Michael Mizrachi Crowned World Champion

Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi has reached the pinnacle of his career. Entering the final day with 445 million chips, he needed less than 20 hands to close out the second day of the final table and capture the WSOP Main Event trophy and the $10 million top prize.

The final resumed on July 16 at 2 p.m. local time with four players remaining. Mizrachi held a commanding chip lead and never looked back.

The very first hand of the day resulted in an elimination. Kenny Hallaert moved all in for 19 million from under the gun, the others folded, and Mizrachi quickly called from the big blind.

Showdown:

Hallaert: A♥Q♣
Mizrachi: K♦J♦

Board: 10♠5♠4♠ – no change.
Turn: J♣ – Mizrachi paired and took the lead.
River: 9♠ – no help for Hallaert, who exited in 4th place for $3,000,000.

In hand #61, John Wasnock folded the button, Mizrachi shoved from the small blind, and Braxton Dunaway called off his last 23 million from the big blind.

Showdown:

Dunaway: 10♥6♥
Mizrachi: A♦10♦

Mizrachi dominated, and the Q♦4♦K♣ flop gave him a nut flush draw on top of his lead. The 4♠ turn left Dunaway with just two outs, and the 3♦ river sealed it – Mizrachi made a flush.

Dunaway exited in 3rd place, earning $4,000,000.

A short break followed as the table was prepared for the championship duel.

Chip counts:

• Michael Mizrachi – 491,000,000
• John Wasnock – 93,500,000

The heads-up matchup was a contrast in stories: Mizrachi, a seven-time bracelet winner and four-time PPC champion, against amateur John Wasnock, whose total live earnings before this event stood at just $140,000.

Wasnock fought hard early, winning several small pots and catching a Mizrachi bluff. But "The Grinder" quickly regained control — and then came the final hand.

In the 79th hand of the final table, Wasnock raised to 5 million on the button, Mizrachi called from the big blind.

Flop: A♦9♣7♣ – both players checked.
Turn: 4♣ – Mizrachi checked again, and Wasnock bet 10 million.

Mizrachi then motioned to the rail, encouraging his supporters to cheer, stood up, and raised to 30 million. Wasnock quickly moved all in for 70.5 million, and Mizrachi snap-called.

Showdown:

Wasnock: A♠9♦ (two pair)
Mizrachi: 10♣3♣ (flush)

Wasnock needed a full house, but the 5♣ river changed nothing. Michael Mizrachi was crowned the new World Champion, while Wasnock completed a fairytale run with a $6,000,000 payday — the biggest score of his life.

Moments after his win, Mizrachi was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame on the spot, bypassing the traditional voting process. The announcement came from WSOP Vice President Jack Effel himself, joined by legends like Phil Hellmuth and Phil Ivey.

“The Main Event was the last piece missing. This was my dream. I’m not retiring. I’ll be back next year — and many more times,” said 2025 World Champion Michael Mizrachi.