Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi joins the TPT Live show

On this Thursday’s TPT Live show, we’ll be joined by the reigning $50,000 World Series of Poker Player’s Champion and current November Nine’er Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi.

Don’t miss this interview, and make sure to join us as we kick off week 2 of the September points event, as ‘jonny696’ looks to defend his title from last week.

The Twitter Poker Tour is a public league open to everyone. If you haven’t had a chance to join us yet, now’s the time!

Live Show and Event Details

Paul Ellis (@coolwhipflea) and Geoff Manning (@cprpoker) broadcast each week during Twitter Poker Tour Points Events on TPT Live. Show starts at 9PM ET, September 9th.

Event: $5 + $1 Doublestack NLHE Points Event
Event ID: 182291964
Event Pass: tptpoker
Where: Full Tilt Poker

About Michael Mizrachi:

Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi is one of the top No-Limit Hold’em Tournament players in the world.  With more than $9.6 million in career tournament winnings, Mizrachi is the highest earning member of the poker playing Mizrachi clan, which includes his oldest brother Robert, twin Eric, and Donny.  Currently, Mizrachi ranks 14^th on the All Time Tournament Money list, but having just made the final table of the Main Event of the World Series of Poker, he can surge to the top with a top 3 finish when play resumes in November.

While this year’s WSOP was certainly his most successful one, Mizrachi has been on the tournament scene since 2004, getting his first tournament win in the $500 No Limit Hold’em Bellagio Weekly for a score of $21,729.  But in 2005, “The Grinder” really took off with a final table appearance at the $10,000 World Poker Open Championship Event.  Mizrachi finished 5^th for $288,241, behind Scotty Nguyen (4^th), Daniel Negreanu (3^rd), and Chau Giang (2^nd).   Mizrachi learned from the experience winning the next WPT Championship event a month later at the 2005 L.A. Poker Classic, for $1,859,909.  But he kept playing in tournaments which meant bad news for his opponents, finishing in 11^th place in the $25k WPT Main Event for another $94,355 just 2 months later, 12^th in the $10k WSOP-Circuit Championship for $23,010 just 2 weeks later, and then winning the $1,500 U.S. NLH Championship a few days after that for $203,700.  But Mizrachi wasn’t done as the summer of 2005 brought 6 WSOP cashes, including his first Main Event cash, finishing 230^th for $33,197.

Mizrachi didn’t let up as the series in Las Vegas ended in 2005, winning the $3,000 Ultimate Poker Challenge ($41,905 for the cash), then finishing 14^th in the series’ $10k Championship for $26,384.  Mizrachi would finish the year winning 2 more Bellagio weekly events, and posting 3 other final tables, including a runner up at the Paris/Bally’s Pot Limit Omaha $500 buy-in event.

2006 had similar results for Mizrachi as he finished Runner up to Scotty Nguyen in the $10k Championship WPT Gold Strike World Poker open for $566,352, and followed that up with a win at the WPT Championship event at the Borgata for $1,173,373, his second career 7-figure score.  But he was far from done as he finished runner up a week later at the L.A. Poker Classic, 9^th at the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, and then another win at the $1,000 Winnin’ o’ the Green in Los Angeles.  9 more final tables would follow including 3 more wins in tournaments for back to back $2 million earning years in tournament poker, an unheard of feat.

From 2007 to 2009, Mizrachi played in fewer tournaments as he took a lot of time away from the felt to focus on being a family man, as he and his wife Aidiliy enjoyed the birth of their son Paul William (named after Mizrachi’s Grandfather).  Mizrachi still posted good scores en route to more than $1.5 million in tournament winnings over those 3 years.  But the 2010 WSOP was a coming out party for “The Grinder” as Mizrachi has to date enjoyed the most profitable 2010 of any live tournament poker player.  5 WSOP cashes, including 4 final tables, and the $50k Players Championship for Mizrachi’s first career bracelet have catapulted him to more than $2.5 million in earning on the year, and that number only stands to grow should he outlast any of his 8 opponent at the Main Event Final Table.  But with several WPT events and the WSOP-Europe still on the calendar, it could truly be the “Year of the Mizrachi.” Also, should Mizrachi win the WSOP Main Event Final Table in November (which he currently sits 7^th in chips), he would tie Frank Kassela for the 2010 WSOP Player of the Year, and pull out arguably the greatest double WSOP performance in the history of poker.

Follow the grinder on Facebook (www.facebook.com/TheGrinder44FanPage) and on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/TheGrinder44)