Robert Mizrachi Wins the $10,000 Buy-In Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship
LAS VEGAS -- The winner of the $10,000 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship was Robert Mizrachi, from Las Vegas, NV. He is a 28-year-old professional poker player. Mizrachi is originally from
Robert Mizrachi wins the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship. Miami. This is his first victory at the World Series of Poker.
The Mizrachi name is well-known in tournament poker circles. Robert’s younger brother Michael “the Grinder” Mizrachi has been one poker’s most successful players over the past five years. Yet, it was the elder brother Robert who was the first Mizrachi to win a WSOP gold bracelet.
Mizrachi learned to play poker from his mother. He then taught his brothers how to play the game. Mizrachi credits much of his success to diversifying as a poker player. “There are so many great No-Limit Hold’em players,” Mizrachi said. “But if you want to be really considered a great (player) you have to master all forms of poker.”
Diversification has certainly worked for Mizrachi. He already has five cashes at this year’s WSOP, including three final table appearances. A testament to his all-around talent as a player, Mizrachi made the two previous final tables in H.O.R.S.E. – finishing 5th and 6th respectively. With a 1st, 5th, 6th, 26th, and 40th place finishes, Mizrachi is now in the running for 2007 WSOP “Player of the Year,” currently led by two-time winner Tom Schneider.
Pot-Limit Omaha is perhaps the most international of all poker games. For instance, in Europe the game is nearly as popular as No-Limit Hold’em. This was reflected in the makeup of this tournament, billed as the “Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship.” Of the nine finalists, seven different nations were represented – including Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, South Korea, the United States, and Vietnam.
When play was three-handed, a rare thing happened. Patrik Antonius flopped a royal flush. He did not win many chips on the big hand, but the rarity of the spectacle brought the crowd to its feet.
The chip leader at the start of the final table was Tommy Ly, from Duluth, GA. He enjoyed a sizable advantage over his opponents. But Ly ended up busting out in 4th place.
Marco Traniello busted out in fifth place. Despite stellar results in the last few years, Traniello remains winless at the WSOP. This was Traniello’s third final table at this year’s World Series, which ties him with four other active players – Phil Hellmuth, Jr., Humberto Brenes, Tom Schneider – and winner . With 14 cashes since the start of the 2005 WSOP, Traniello now holds the distinction as the poker player with the most in-the-money finishes over the last three years.
On this day, all eyes were focused on Doyle Brunson who was making his first WSOP final table appearance in over two years. Brunson was aiming for his record-tying 11th WSOP championship gold bracelet in this event (to match Phil Hellmuth, Jr. as the all-time leader). Brunson lasted a few hours on the final day but was unable to generate the momentum necessary to carry him on to victory. Brunson, age 73, ended up going out in sixth place. Players, staff, and poker fans showed their reverence for the man and the occasion by giving the two-time world poker champion a lengthy standing ovation.
Former WSOP gold bracelet winners who cashed in this event included – David Chiu (10th), Don O’Dea (14th), Scotty Nguyen (15th), Annie Duke (17th), and Eric Froehlich (25th).
Through the conclusion of this event, three players share the lead for most cashes at this year’s WSOP. Gene Todd and Chad Brown are now tied with Mike Binger with six in-the-money finishes in 2007. About a dozen players have five cashes each.