Michael Mizrachi Adds Excitement to 2010 WSOP Final Table
For media outlets, ESPN and the World Series of Poke (WSOP), there was a collective sigh of relief that poker star Michael Mizrachi made it to the final table just after 8:30 am EST Sunday morning.
Make no mistake about it, Mizrachi is a major draw for the event. He has the hard luck story (had to foreclose on his one home a few months back, IRS problems, etc..) and he is the “Comeback Kid” of poker (won a million just prior to the WSOP main event). Mizrachi has three brothers, all of whom cashed at the main event (the first time this has ever happened before). And more importantly, he has a huge following.
Everybody seemed to be backing “The Grinder”, which is Michael Mizrachi’s nick.
After Jason Senti took down the last pot by re-raising Soi Nguyen pre-flop, MOC Robbie Thompson asked, "Who's here for Jason?" There was some weak applause from one side of the gallery.
Then a spectator stood up in the middle of the gallery. "Who's here for Grinder?" he shouted. A whole section of the room erupted in cheers and applause.
The reality is that without Mizrachi’s presence in the 2010 World Series of Poker, there might not be much to look forward to. None of the other eight players are established enough or have the type of following of a Mizrachi.
The same was true last year when one of the biggest names in poker made it to the final table, Phil Ivey. Everyone in the poker world was glued to the final to see how Ivey would perform.
Unlike Ivey, who tends to be more aloof and stormed away from the final table without speaking to the press after busting out, Mizrachi tends to be far more media savvy.
“I just wanted to get to the final nine to take the pressure off of me,” Mizrachi said at the conclusion of the grueling 18 hour poker session. “Now we can play some poker when I get back.”
Mizrachi, who resides in Miami and plays poker professionally, will return to Las Vegas to play the final table on Nov. 7, in seventh place with 14 million chips for a shot at the $8.9 first place prize.
“I like my chances,” Mizrachi said. “I’m happy to survive.”
Patrick Flanagan, Gambling911.com
