Eli Elezra

Eli Elezra

aka "Mr. Vegas"
Nationality
Israel
Israel
GPI Rank 5,775
WSOP Bracelets 5
WPT Wins 1
Total Live Earnings $5,611,247
The Hendon Mob Data provided by The Hendon Mob

Biography

Eli Elezra is one of the most instantly recognizable poker players in the world, thanks to him enjoying a long and illustrious career going back to the mid-1990s. The five-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner is equally adept at tournament poker as he is at high-stakes cash games.

Elezra was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2021.

Background

Elezra was born November 24, 1960, in Jerusalem, Israel, and has lived a colorful and varied life. Like many Israelis, Elezra served in his country's army, donning the uniform id the Israel Defence Force's Golani Brigades, one of the country's elite military units. Elezra spent three weeks in prison for refusing to comply with military orders but went on to become a lieutenant.

A leg injury sustained during the 1982 Lebanon War curtailed Elezra's military career. Elezra learned more about poker while he was in the hospital recovering from his injuries. He moved to the United States following his discharge from the army.

Alaska was Elezra's first port of call. Here he had several jobs, including working in the thriving Alaskan fish industry, he drove a taxi for a while, before heading to Las Vegas where he became the owner of a successful film-developing business.

Now flush with cash from his business interests, Elezra began playing more poker in and around Las Vegas. he initially focused on the lucrative cash games but soon found he had a penchant for tournament poker.

His first WSOP cash came in 1999 when he finished seventh in a $2,500 Limit Omaha event. Since then, Elezra has cashed more than 70 times in WSOP events, winning five gold bracelets along the way. Bracelet number one came at the 2007 WSOP in the $3,000 World Championship Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo event. Elezra has since added another four bracelets to his collection.

Eli Elezra WSOP Bracelets

YearEventPrize (USD)
2007$3,000 World Championship Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo$198,984
2013$2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball Limit$173,236
2015$1,500 Seven Card Stud$112,591
2019$1,500 Seven Card Stud$93,766
2022$10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship$611,362

The $611,362 prize that accompanied Elezra's fifth bracelet win was the second-largest tournament score of his career. Only the $1,024,574 he captured for winning the $10,200 Mirage Poker Showdown World Poker Tour event in 2004 is larger.

Poker Hall of Fame Induction

Elezra was immortalized in the Poker Hall of Fame in 2021, beating off stiff opposition from the likes of Mike Matusow, Michael Mizrachi, Layne Flack, Bertrand Grospellier, Antonio Esfandiari, Chris Ferguson, and Ted Forrest.

If you are something of a bookworm, PokerNews recommends checking our "Pulling the Trigger" Elezra's autobiography that Robbie Strazynski translated into English.

PokerNews Covered Events

Event Place Prize
2024 World Series of Poker
Event #69: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better
11th $8,716
2023 World Series of Poker
Event #86: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty
86th $4,897
2023 World Series of Poker
Event #69: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw Championship
13th $23,750
2023 World Series of Poker
Event #21: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
35th $6,986
2023 World Series of Poker
Event #3: $1,000 Mystery Millions
482nd $3,130
2022 World Series of Poker
Event #63: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
1st $611,362
2022 World Series of Poker
Event #38: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw Championship
7th $41,011
2021 World Series of Poker
Event #73: 10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
22nd $16,340
2021 World Series of Poker
Event #60: $50,000 Poker Players Championship
4th $286,983
2021 World Series of Poker
Event #52: $1,000 Seniors Championship
47th $11,437
2021 World Series of Poker
Event #45: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship
6th $124,508
2021 World Series of Poker
Event #32: $3,000 H.O.R.S.E.
4th $53,986
2021 World Series of Poker
Event #23: $1,500 Eight Game Mix 6-Handed
66th $2,415
2021 World Series of Poker
Event #7: $1,500 Dealers Choice 6-Handed
20th $3,593
2021 US Poker Open
Event #6: $10,000 8-Game
1st $183,600
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #72: $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship
12th $20,963
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #67: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
11th $23,664
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #51: $2,500 Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better
42nd $4,155
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #20: $1,500 Seven Card Stud
1st $93,766
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better
97th $2,355
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #75: $1,500 The Closer No-Limit Hold'em (30 minute levels) - $1 Million Guarantee
406th $2,315
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #76: $3,000 H.O.R.S.E.
24th $6,524
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #60: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
22nd $18,631
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #53: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better
3rd $106,183
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #40: $2,500 Mixed Big Bet
22nd $4,470
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #25: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better
12th $9,165
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
2nd $258,297
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #3: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em SHOOTOUT
13th $6,302
2014 World Series of Poker
Event #36: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball
19th $3,471
2014 World Series of Poker
Event #10: $10,000 Limit Omaha Hi-Low Championship
10th $33,949
2014 World Series of Poker
Event #5: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball Championship
3rd $144,056
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #59: $2,500 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball
1st $173,236
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #29: $5,000 H.O.R.S.E.
30th $8,525
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #13: $5,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8-or-Better
15th $11,528
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 27: $1,500 H.O.R.S.E.
63rd $3,468
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 15: $5,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split 8-or-Better
19th $9,675
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 2: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
103rd $3,531
2011 World Series of Poker
Event #58: $10,000 Main Event
107th $54,851
2011 World Series of Poker
Event #49: $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit)
5th $36,596
2011 World Series of Poker
Event #31: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
41st $8,508
2011 World Series of Poker
Event #17: $1,500 H.O.R.S.E.
21st $7,709
2011 World Series of Poker
Event #9: $1,500 2-7 Draw Lowball
25th $3,237
2011 Aussie Millions
Full Tilt Poker $25,000 Shootout Invitational
6th 30,000 AUD
2010 World Series of Poker
Event #44: $2,500 Mixed Hold'em
23rd $8,372
2010 World Series of Poker
Event #7: $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball
15th $7,663
2010 NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship
$20,000 Heads-up Championship
10th $25,000
2009 World Series of Poker
Event 47 - $2,500 Mixed Hold'em
46th $4,739
2009 World Series of Poker
Event 30 - $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha
33rd $6,056
2009 World Series of Poker
Event 3 - $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo 8-or-better
20th $7,869
2008 World Series of Poker
Event 28 - $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha w/ Rebuys
18th $54,003
2008 World Series of Poker
Event 8 - $10,000 World Championship Mixed Event
5th $108,288
2008 World Series of Poker
Event 1 - $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em World Championship
19th $26,470
2007 World Series of Poker
Event 24 - $3,000 Seven Card Stud Hi Lo
1st $198,984

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