US poker pro Michael Mizrachi was granted an unprecedented on-the-spot induction into the Poker Hall of Fame early Thursday morning after completing what many agree is the greatest feat in poker history by winning the WSOP’s Poker Players Championship (PPC) and Main Event in the same year.
The PPC and Main Event are widely considered to be the two most prestigious tournaments on the annual poker calendar globally.
Mizrachi, who now holds eight WSOP bracelets, secured the Main Event title and its US$10 million first prize by outlasting a field of 9,735 players – the third largest Main Event field in WSOP history – including an utter domination of the final table over the past two days.
Less than three weeks ago he also became the first player to win the US$50,000 buy-in PPC on four separate occasions, taking home another US$1.33 million in the process. The PPC, comprising nine different poker disciplines, is considered by many to be the truest test of a player’s overall skill level.
Mizrachi’s PPC success had already sparked debate over whether he should be the next player inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, with many notable industry figures calling for his inclusion in the Class of 2026. The Hall of Fame has in recent years inducted only one player each year and only last week named seven-time WSOP bracelet winner Nick Shulman as this year’s honoree.
However, it quickly broke with tradition in the moments following Mizrachi’s Main Event victory on Thursday by announcing him the second inductee of this calendar year, ensuring there would be no further wait for the popular poker pro.
A PPC and WSOP Main Event in the same year? It’s an accomplishment we will likely never see again.
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