$25K Heads-Up Bracket Sets Up Potential Negreanu-Mizrachi Semifinal

The Round of 16 brackets are out for $25,000 Heads-Up Championship, and while Daniel Negreanu and Michael Mizrachi won’t face each other in the Round of 16, the dream matchup remains very much alive.

The two GGPoker ambassadors landed on the opposite sides of the bracket on Sunday afternoon, meaning they could meet in Monday’s semifinals if both can survive a gauntlet of tough opponents.

Biggest Heads-Up Match in Poker?

It would be one of the marquee clashes of the 2026 World Series of Poker. Negreanu is still one of poker’s biggest stars and has already generated headlines this week after announcing that he and wife Amanda are expecting their first child.

Mizrachi, meanwhile, arrived in Las Vegas as the hottest name in the game following his historic 2025 WSOP Main Event victory and subsequent induction into the Poker Hall of Fame.

Both players — who made it through Day 1a — have already navigated difficult paths to reach the final 16.

Negreanu opened his campaign by defeating 2024 Heads-Up Championship winner Darius Samual before dispatching Brock Wilson and Harvey Castro to secure his place in the Round of 16.

Mizrachi’s route has also been tough. He first eliminated Shannon Shorr before getting past Jun Obara. His Round of 32 match then produced a blockbuster showdown against Phil Hellmuth, with Mizrachi sending the all-time bracelet leader to the rail to book his place in the last 16.

Fresh Obstacles Await

Negreanu draws high-stakes tournament crusher Biao Ding in the Round of 16. Ding has established himself as one of the strongest tournament players around, with more than $21 million in live earnings. He will provide a stern test for the six-time bracelet winner.

Should Negreanu advance, he would face either Dimitar Danchev or Florian Pesce in the quarterfinals.

Mizrachi begins his day against Japan’s Ryuta Nakai, who qualified through Day 1b. Nakai’s path saw him defeat Josh Reichard, Yaman Nakdali and Brock Wilson.

If Mizrachi can overcome Nakai, a quarterfinal against either Cary Katz or Julien Sitbon awaits.

Elsewhere in the bracket, Nikolai Mamut takes on Henri Puustinen, Justin Saliba faces Nikita Kuznetsov, Thomas Boivin squares off against Barak Wisbrod, and Brandon Wilson meets Alex Foxen.

The structure means both the Round of 16 and quarterfinals will be completed on Sunday, leaving just four players standing heading into Monday’s semifinals.

Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game.

Calum has written for various poker outlets but found his home at PokerNews, where he has contributed to various articles and live updates, providing insights and reporting on major poker events, including the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

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