Last Updated on July 6, 2026 by Bala Kumar
Introduction
The Mizrachi name has been synonymous with poker greatness for over two decades, and in 2026, the torch is being carried forward by a new generation. Paul Mizrachi, the 21-year-old son of reigning WSOP Main Event champion Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, has bagged a big stack of chips at his first-ever WSOP Main Event, turning heads across the poker world and proving that poker truly does run in the family DNA.
The Real-Time Story: What Happened
The 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event kicked off on July 2, 2026 at Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas, running through July 13, 2026, with the final table expected to air live on ESPN in early August. Poker’s biggest stage has always attracted legends, amateurs, and now, an entire family dynasty.
Paul made his poker debut just last winter at the 2025 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event in the Bahamas. Today, he sat down for his very first $10,000 Main Event, and the final starting flight, Day 1d, treated him extremely well. He bagged more than three starting stacks, finishing the night with 197,200 in chips, one of the standout results of the entire Day 1 stretch.
Reflecting on the milestone of bagging chips for the first time in poker’s biggest tournament, Paul admitted he’d exceeded his own expectations, calling the result “pretty awesome” and saying he played better than he thought he would.
It wasn’t smooth sailing from the start, though. Paul came into the day carrying nerves from his short-lived Bahamas run, where he busted within two hours of the Super Main Event, a memory that had him worried about a repeat performance before cards even hit the felt.
A Tough Table, a Big Stack
Paul didn’t have an easy Day 1d table draw. Seated directly to his right was high-stakes French pro Johan Guilbert, while American pro Kristopher Burchfield sat a few seats to his left. Rounding out the tough lineup were Lithuania’s Kasparas Klezys and American Charles Furey, both seven-figure career earners. None of that stopped him from building a stack in the very tournament his father won for $10 million just last year.
At one point, Paul turned to the table and openly wondered aloud whether he’d simply gotten lucky. Burchfield’s response put it plainly: he’d earned every one of those chips through hard work, not luck.
The day wasn’t stress-free early on either, Paul described being caught in a massive pot just minutes into Level 1 that ended up chopped, a moment that he said cleared every nerve out of his system and let him play the rest of the day loose.
Best Performing Mizrachi of the Night
Paul wasn’t the only family member in the field. His uncles Eric, Daniel, and Robert Mizrachi all played, and even his grandfather Ezra Mizrachi took a seat. But Day 1d belonged entirely to Paul, who joked that he had more chips than all the other Mizrachis combined.
The rest of the family had a mixed night: Eric, Daniel, and Robert all bagged modest, middle-of-the-pack stacks, while Ezra was eliminated in the tournament’s final level. Michael Mizrachi, meanwhile, had already bagged just over a starting stack during his own Day 1b flight days earlier.
The Mizrachi Poker Dynasty
To understand why this story is generating buzz, you need to understand the family behind it:
- Michael Mizrachi (“The Grinder”) – 2025 WSOP Main Event Champion ($10 million payday), 9-time WSOP bracelet winner, and 2025 Poker Hall of Fame inductee. He added bracelet No. 9 just a week before this Main Event by winning the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship for $1.3 million.
- Robert Mizrachi – Michael’s older brother and mentor, a 5-time WSOP bracelet winner.
- Eric Mizrachi – Michael’s twin brother, a semi-amateur player.
- Daniel “DJ” Mizrachi – Michael’s younger brother, professional DJ and casual player.
- Ezra Mizrachi – The family patriarch, still competing at this year’s Main Event.
- Paul Mizrachi – Michael’s 21-year-old son, the newest member chasing family glory, with $4,941 in career live earnings heading into this event.
Combined, the Mizrachi brothers have won 13 WSOP bracelets. Even a min-cash in this year’s Main Event would mark a new career-high payday for Paul.
Why This Story Is Trending
- Father-Son Storyline – A reigning World Champion’s son making a deep run in the same tournament is a rare, feel-good poker narrative.
- Poker Legacy Angle – The Mizrachi family is already considered poker royalty; Paul’s rise adds a fresh generational hook.
- Real Stakes – With a $10,000 buy-in and a prize pool climbing past $16.8 million early in the event, every big stack story carries real financial weight.
- ESPN Spotlight – The 2026 Main Event is being broadcast on ESPN for the first time in over a decade, bringing mainstream attention back to poker.
What’s Next for Paul Mizrachi?
A total of 3,638 players bagged chips on Day 1d alone, making it one of the largest flights of the 2026 Main Event. With Day 2 approaching and a stack well above average, Paul Mizrachi will need to navigate a deep and talented field to make a real run at the money, and possibly the final table. Whether or not he goes deep, his big stack has already cemented his name as one to watch among poker fans everywhere.
Stay tuned as the 2026 WSOP Main Event progresses toward its Day 2, Day 3, and eventual final table in August.
FAQs
Q1: Who is Paul Mizrachi?
Paul Mizrachi is the son of 2025 WSOP Main Event champion Michael Mizrachi.
Q2: How many chips did Paul Mizrachi bag?
He finished Day 1d with 197,200 chips.
Q3: Why is Paul’s debut making headlines?
He impressed in his first-ever WSOP Main Event with a top chip stack.
Q4: How many WSOP bracelets have the Mizrachi brothers won?
Together, they have won 13 WSOP bracelets.
Q5: What’s next for Paul Mizrachi?
He advances to Day 2 of the 2026 WSOP Main Event aiming for a deep run.
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