Sorel Mizzi

Sorel Mizzi was born on April 16, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. At the age of 16, he joined the army and spent two years in reserve training in Meaford, Ontario. After completing his service, Mizzi developed an interest in online poker while working as a telemarketer. He quit his job after winning $80,000 in a single week of play. Mizzi quickly rose through the online ranks, adopting the screen names "Imper1um" and "Zangbezan24," and established himself as a force in both tournaments and cash games.

His early live tournament results include a tenth-place finish at the 2006 Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic for $29,800 and a third-place finish at the 2007 Irish Poker Open, earning $280,284. In 2008, he finished second in the £5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event at the World Series of Poker Europe.

Mizzi's breakout year came in 2010 when he was named both the BLUFF Player of the Year and the PTPR Tournament Poker Player of the Year. That year, he cashed in the EPT Caribbean Adventure ($16,295), took third at the Aussie Millions Poker Championship for $659,917, and won the Wynn Classic $2,000 no-limit hold'em event for $85,147. He also claimed two event wins at EPT Snowfest as captain of the Titan Poker Pro Team.

In 2013, Mizzi won the PartyPoker Premier League VII, earning $466,000. Later that year, he finished third in the HK$1,000,000 No-Limit Hold'em event (part of the GuangDong Asia Millions) for $2,073,868, his largest live cash to date. He also placed third in the $100,000 Super High Roller at EPT Monte Carlo in 2013 for $890,471. In 2014, he finished second at the Aussie Millions Poker Championship for $874,837. Mizzi has a total of three World Series of Poker final tables, five World Poker Tour final tables, and four European Poker Tour final tables.

Despite never winning a WSOP bracelet, Mizzi has 61 WSOP cashes worth over $1.84 million, according to WSOP data. His best WSOP results include a third-place finish in the $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship in 2017 ($135,985), third in the 2021 Little One for One Drop ($186,824), and sixth in the 2021 $100,000 High Roller ($331,806). At the 2024 WSOP Paradise, he cashed three times: eighth in the $100,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Super High Roller ($277,230), 27th in the Triton Main Event ($178,000), and 16th in the $25,000 Super Main Event ($295,000).

Online, Mizzi won two Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) titles in 2007, becoming only the second player to achieve that feat. He topped the FTOPS XX leaderboard in 2011 after cashing in 17 of 45 events. He also won a Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) title, taking $118,500 for first place in event #32. Mizzi is a regular in high-stakes cash games on platforms like Titan Poker, and his online tournament earnings exceed $3.6 million.

Mizzi is known for an extremely aggressive playing style, applying constant pressure through large bets and frequent bluffs. His sharp reads allow him to exploit opponents' weaknesses, and he adapts quickly to different formats and stakes. While his aggression can occasionally backfire, his flexibility and deep understanding of strategy make him a threat in any poker variant. Mizzi's approach has been studied by aspiring players seeking to learn how to apply pressure effectively in both tournaments and cash games.

Mizzi has been involved in several rule violations. In December 2007, he took over for a friend (Chris Vaughn) in an online tournament while playing from another location; he won the tournament but was disqualified and later apologized. In 2008, he received a three-month suspension from PokerStars for multi-accounting. In 2016, he was permanently banned from PokerStars after playing from the United States on another player's account during the 2015 World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP). These incidents have sparked debate in the poker community about ethics and enforcement, though Mizzi remains respected for his technical skill.

Off the felt, Mizzi undertook a notable physical challenge in May 2014, making a $10,000 proposition bet at 3:1 odds that he could swim from Ipanema Beach to an island 5 km away. He completed the swim and donated 10% of the payout to charity. In December 2015, he participated in a charity boxing match against fellow poker pro Brian Rast at Syndicate MMA Gym in Las Vegas; Mizzi won by third-round knockout, with proceeds going to REG Charity. In 2022, the Toronto Guardian ranked him the seventh-richest Canadian poker player. Mizzi maintains an active presence on social media and runs a personal website with blogs and media. As of 2025, his live tournament winnings exceed $14.4 million, solidifying his place as one of Canada's most successful and recognizable poker players.