Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi’s dream of winning consecutive World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event titles is officially over after the reigning champion was eliminated on Day 5 of the 2026 tournament.
After another impressive deep run through poker’s biggest event, Mizrachi collected $50,000 for his 241st-place finish, but fell well short of defending the world championship he claimed just 12 months earlier.
Mizrachi’s Title Defence Comes to an End
The 2025 WSOP Main Event champion battled through nearly five days of play, once again navigating one of the toughest tournament fields in poker. However, with his stack reduced to just nine big blinds late on Day 5, Mizrachi was forced to make his move.
Holding K♦Q♠, he moved all-in only to be looked up by 2019 WSOP Main Event champion Hossein Ensan, who woke up with A♠A♣.
The board ran out:
7♣ 9♠ 7♥ 7♠ 10♥
Ensan’s pocket aces improved to a full house, eliminating Mizrachi before the tournament reached its biggest pay jumps.
As Mizrachi left the feature table, fellow players and spectators applauded the defending champion following another memorable performance.
Another Champion Ends the Champion’s Run
There was a fitting twist to Mizrachi’s exit.
Rather than falling to an unknown challenger, it was former world champion Hossein Ensan who ended his title defence. Ensan now remains the only previous WSOP Main Event winner still in contention for the 2026 title.
His continued presence adds another intriguing storyline as the field continues to shrink towards the final table.
Why Back-to-Back WSOP Main Event Titles Are So Rare
Winning the WSOP Main Event once is one of poker’s greatest achievements. Winning it twice in consecutive years has proved almost impossible.
The last player to successfully defend the world championship was Johnny Chan, who famously captured back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988.
Despite countless champions returning each summer, none have managed to repeat the feat in nearly four decades.
A Strong Run Despite Falling Short
Although Mizrachi won’t become poker’s first back-to-back Main Event champion since Johnny Chan, his 2026 performance still ranks among the better title defences of the modern era.
Reaching the final 241 players in the world’s biggest poker tournament is an achievement in itself, especially considering the enormous field sizes seen in recent WSOP Main Events.
While another world title will have to wait, “The Grinder” once again proved why he remains one of poker’s most respected tournament competitors, adding another deep WSOP run to an already remarkable career.
