Michael Mizrachi Faces Breach of Contract Lawsuit

When you’re on top of the world, someone will always try to take you down.

Michael Mizrachi was having a pretty rough go before this year’s WSOP rolled around. He’s been on top of the world since then, winning one major event and becoming a member of this year’s November Nine thanks to a brilliant Main Event performance. One thing you can expect when you’re on top in America is that sooner or later someone will sue you – and now Mizrachi has firsthand experience thanks to a suit filed against him in federal court in Texas by a company called Deliverance Poker.

According to the complaint, Mizrachi agreed to his deal with Deliverance in July 2009. For signing, he received $150,000, a 1.75% interest in Deliverance, and “advance expenses related to poker tournaments in which Defendant Mizrachi would participate.” He wore Deliverance patches and hats for some 20 tournaments and things were copacetic. But after his deep run in the WSOP Main Event had begun, Mizrachi signed another deal with Tiltware – and it’s from that deal that the complaint stems.

Deliverance claims that the deal with Tiltware constitutes breach of contract, because Mizrachi had agreed when signing with them that he would “exclusively wear site logoed shirts and caps during all Tournaments and Public Appearances” and that he would grant Deliverance exclusive right to his name, voice and likeness. It seeks to recover its lost earnings, profits and earning capacity, as well as any other damages the court might award it. 

Michael Mizrachi and Tiltware have yet to comment on the lawsuit.