Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Final table of eight remains in WSOP Poker Players Championship

Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi in familiar position with lead heading into final day

mizrachibracelet

WSOP/HARRAH'S

Michael Mizrachi celebrates after winning $1.5 million and a World Series of Poker bracelet in the 2010 WSOP Poker Player’s Championship.

Poker Players Championship payouts

  • 1st — $1,451,257
  • 2nd— $896,935
  • 3rd— $561,738
  • 4th— $406,736
  • 5th— $317,882
  • 6th— $253,497
  • 7th— $205,856
  • 8th— $169,879

The $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship at the World Series of Poker may crown its first two-time champion Thursday night.

Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, who took home $1.5 million by winning the high-profile event two years ago, will enter the eight-handed final table with the chip lead after a memorable surge during the fourth day of play.

Mizrachi started Wednesday afternoon in the middle of the pack with 632,000 chips, but had 3.6 million by the time play concluded after 10 hours.

Since the WSOP introduced the tournament seven years ago, Mizrachi is the first champion to return to the final table. He’s looking to earn $1.45 million and a third WSOP golden bracelet with a victory this year.

Formidable competition stands in the way, including two former second-place finishers in this event. Most notably, Las Vegas pro Andy Bloch rests only a fraction behind Mizrachi with 3.5 million chips.

Bloch famously engaged in a record seven-hour heads-up session with David “Chip” Reese in the inaugural $50,000 event in 2006. The late Reese outlasted Bloch, who settled for a $1 million second-place payout.

Bruno Fitoussi came in second the next year, taking home $1.2 million in a failed bid to beat Freddy Deeb. But Fitoussi has the shortest stack with 188,000 chips heading into this year’s final table.

Play resumes at 2 Thursday and lasts until someone hoists the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy. Look below for the final table seating assignments and chip counts and check back tomorrow for coverage of the final table.

Seat 1: Bill Chen (1.29 million)

Seat 2: Luke Schwartz (1.49 million)

Seat 3: Andy Bloch (3.59 million)

Seat 4: Stephen Chidwick (2.02 million)

Seat 5: Michael Mizrachi (3.64 million)

Seat 6: Chris Klodnicki (3.27 million)

Seat 7: Bruno Fitoussi (188,000)

Seat 8: Roland Israelashvili (694,000)

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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