There is a vision most people have of a good poker player. In general, they picture somebody who is middle-aged, perhaps a little paunchy and weathered looking with the tale of their life written into the expression on their face. Most folks don't think of guys born in the eighties who should have spent their formative years playing "Dance Dance Revolution" instead of Texas Hold'em. Michael Mizrachi shatters the picture in most folk's minds of what a world class poker player should be.
Before he decided on a life as a professional poker player, Michael was in college and heading for a degree in medicine. A promising career as a doctor was ended before it even began when his older brother (professional poker player Robert Mizrachi) introduced him to the game of Texas Hold'em. There was no looking back for Mike after that. With the exception of a brother who opted for a life as a professional magician, poker runs through the DNA of Mizrachi family. Both his older brother and his twin brother, Eric, make their livings playing professional poker. It was inevitable that this would be the life that Michael would choose for himself. He was a dominate player in cyberspace. Nobody knew his face, but they were always aware of when he was in the room. Mike credits his online play as the one variable that prepared him for real life tournaments. In the ethereal world of the internet, he was exposed to thousands of players, all of them playing a wide variety of styles. He learned to adapt to a table or room, and win under an ever changing set of circumstances. Michael is not yet out of his twenties, but he has a list of accomplishments in professional poker that would make a lot of more seasoned players weep with envy. Since he picked up a deck of cards on a professional level he has had seven money finishes in the World Series of Poker. All seven of these happened in the 2005 season. Adding to this accomplishment, he also has two World Poker Tournament victories on his resume. Also the highlight of the year was when he won the L.A Poker Classic. This No-Limit Hold'em Championship netted him over a million dollars for his efforts. Who knows what sort of Doctor Michael Mizrachi would have made. The medical profession's loss is professional poker's gain. This player should be a lot of fun to watch for years and years to come.
