2018 World Series of Poker: Mizrachi Wins Third Poker Players Championship; Zhu Earns First Bracelet in Overtime

Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi won his third $50,000 Poker Players Championship bracelet on Tuesday night at the 2018 World Series of Poker, making it an historic evening. Elsewhere around the Rio, another veteran of the game, Yueqi Zhu, took his first bracelet after his event went into “overtime.”

Event #33 - $50,000 Poker Players Championship

Despite a massive chip lead to open the day Mizrachi had some adversity at the final table in the form of both Dan Smith and John Hennigan - who had won the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. tournament. Smith and Hennigan both took over the chip lead at one point, but The Grinder persevered, launched his comeback, and would eventually walk away with the bracelet.

Mizrachi added just over $1.2 million in World Series of Poker earnings with the first-place finish, while Hennigan ended up in second place for $765,837, and Dan Smith would pick up $521,782 for his third-place result. Mike Leah, Benny Glaser, and Aaron Katz finished fourth through sixth in the event, to also grab six-figure paydays.

Along with winning this event three times, Mizrachi also had a fourth-place finish in 2016. Over the course of his career Mizrachi has now earned almost $17 million at the tables.

2018 WSOP EVENT #33 – FINAL Six
Player	Winnings
Michael Mizrachi	$1,293,126
John Hennigan	$765,837
Dan Smith	$521,782
Mike Leah	$364,197
Benny Glaser	$260,578
Aaron Katz	$191,234

Event #35 - $1,500 Mixed Omaha

In rapid fashion, Yueqi Zhu came back for overtime on Tuesday and dispatched his opponents to pick up his first bracelet victory.

Zhu was a dominant chip leader (4.515 million) over Gabriel Ramos (970,000) and Carol Fuchs (310,000) and he left little to chance. Fuchs, a WSOP bracelet Sportsbook looking for No. 2, would be eliminated during Omaha Hi/Lo 8 or Better, her J-5-2-2 (six-high straight, six to deuce low) falling to Zhu’s A-7-6-5 (seven-high straight, six to ace low) on a 9-6-4-3-J board. On the very next hand, Zhu would end it by rivering a king-high straight against Ramos’ flopped set of queens (no low) in Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo 8 or Better and capture the first WSOP bracelet of his two-decade career.