It was kind of inevitable.
Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, who delivered a spectacular performance at this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) and is the reigning WSOP World Champion, has been appointed as an ambassador by none other than GGPoker, the world’s leading online poker room.
This marks yet another major signing for GGPoker, as Mizrachi joins an elite roster that includes Daniel Negreanu, Fedor Holz, and Kevin Martin to become the operator’s newest Global Ambassador.
Poker fans will surely remember The Grinder’s incredible showing earlier this summer when he not only captured the prestigious Poker Players Championship for the fourth time in his career but also went on to win the WSOP Main Event, winning the $10 million top prize and his eighth career WSOP bracelet. His remarkable run was capped off with an immediate induction into the Poker Hall of Fame, cementing what many consider the best stretch of his illustrious career.
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According to GGPoker, Mizrachi’s appointment makes “the world’s biggest online poker room the natural home for one of the greatest tournament players of all time.”
“Joining GGPoker is the most logical step in my career,” Mizrachi said about his new partnership. “After winning the Main Event and going straight into the Hall of Fame, I was looking for a partner that matches my ambition, and GGPoker is simply the future of the game. I’m ready to represent GGPoker globally and bring the passion of ‘The Grinder’ to the online felt.”
“Michael Mizrachi is poker royalty,” said fellow GGPoker Global Ambassador Daniel Negreanu, welcoming the new addition. “To achieve the 'Double’ – winning the Poker Players Championship and the Main Event in the same summer – is a feat we may never see again. That kind of enduring greatness belongs on the GGTeam. We are thrilled to welcome The Grinder and look forward to an even more exciting future together.”
Champions Turned Ambassadors
It is certainly not the first time a WSOP Main Event champion has been signed by an online poker operator to represent its brand. In fact, it was once a common trend during the poker boom era, beginning with the legendary Chris Moneymaker, whose 2003 Main Event victory ignited the online poker explosion. He was immediately signed by PokerStars.
A year later, Greg Raymer, the 2004 WSOP Main Event champion, also joined PokerStars as a Team Pro. Joe Cada, who won the 2009 Main Event, followed the same path. More recently, Ramon Colillas, the inaugural winner of PokerStars’ PSPC, was appointed as a PokerStars ambassador shortly after his victory, which came via a Platinum Pass entry.
However, in nearly all of these cases, it was PokerStars that led the way in signing major live event champions as brand representatives.
Now, GGPoker, the current global leader in online poker and far ahead of its competitors, has done the same. The move carries extra significance, as GGPoker’s parent company now owns the WSOP brand itself, making this partnership even more symbolic.
Mixed Games on the Horizon?
According to GGPoker’s press release, Mizrachi will begin representing the brand immediately at major live poker events worldwide and will also appear online when possible. Since Mizrachi is a US resident and GGPoker is not available to American players, his online appearances will likely occur in international events and promotional settings.
Mizrachi is already confirmed to appear at WSOP Paradise, the next major WSOP festival, taking place this December in the Bahamas. GGPoker also announced that players can expect to see “The Grinder” competing at the highest stakes and engaging with the GGPoker community online.
It is possible that Mizrachi’s signing could hint at a future expansion of GGPoker’s game offerings. The operator noted that “his arrival brings a wealth of mixed-game expertise.” Currently, GGPoker does not offer mixed games, but considering Mizrachi’s dominance in the Poker Players Championship, an eight-game mixed event widely regarded as one of the most prestigious in the world, his involvement could signal that GGPoker is exploring the addition of mixed games to its platform. In the dot-com market, currently only PokerStars offers mixed games.
Whether that becomes a reality remains to be seen. Still, Mizrachi’s appointment is undoubtedly another huge signing for GGPoker as the operator continues to strengthen its dominance in the global online poker landscape. According to the Hendon Mob, his total live earnings are nearly $30 million.
