Michael Mizrachi Departs Lock Poker
October 16, 2013 12:53 pmIn January this year, Lock Poker signed Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi to its LockPRO ELITE Team but now the high-profile player has ended his endorsement deal with the online poker room, saying only that he would release a statement as to his decision in the near future.
Nevertheless, Michael Mizrachi is just one in a long line of casualties Lock Poker has had to contend with recently, as it has struggled to counteract major bad press associated with its seriously slow payment process which can take as long as four months.
Other sponsored pros to have left Lock Poker this year include the likes of Paul Volpe, Brett “Gank” Jungblutt, and Chris Moorman, with the UK pro explaining at the time:
“I have decided not to renew my contract with Lock. I sincerely hope Lock is able to overcome its current problems and..for the sake of online poker their situation is resolved.”
It is reasonable to assume that Michael Mizrachi’s departure, too, was driven by the need to distance itself from the problems associated with the beleaguered poker room, whilst also clearing the path for an endorsement deal with a regulated site.
Just as the world’s biggest online tournament winner, Chris Moorman’s exit was seen as a serious blow to Lock Poker, so to will be the departure of high-profile tournament grinder Michael Mizrachi, who has earned an astonishing $14,526,724 from live tournaments, making him 8th overall on poker’s “All Time Money List.”
Meanwhile, the “Lock Pro Elite” team still hasn’t lost all its top names with many notable players choosing to stay put for now. These include Annette Obrestad, Melanie Weisner, Matt Stout, Eric “Rizen” Lynch, Casey Jarzabek, Felipe Ramos and Greg Tiller.