Poker Profile – Eli Elezra
About Eli Elezra
| Current Residence | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Born | November 24, 1960 |
| Birth Place | Jerusalem, Israeli |
| Total Winnings | $5,305,665 |
Eli Elezra Trivia
Known by the nicknames Mr. Vegas and Wizard, it’s impossible not to see or hear Eli Elezra’ name and smile. One of the most successful players in the post-Moneymaker poker era, Eli is so much more than just a poker player as we reveal below.
| PLAYER SCORE | 9/10 |
|---|---|
| Aggressiveness | 9 |
| Looseness | 8 |
| Limit | 9 |
| No-limit | 9 |
| Side Games | 10 |
| Steam Control | 7 |
| Against Strong Players | 9 |
| Against Weak Players | 9 |
| Tournaments | 9 |
| Short-Handed | 8 |
Growing Up in Israel
Eliahu Ilan Elezra was born on November 24th, 1960, in Jerusalem. He joined the Israeli Defense as a young adult and got into trouble when he disobeyed military orders. He wanted to go into the army as a commando, but commanders instead referred him to the Air Force which he refused. As a reward for standing up for himself, he spent three weeks in jail but was granted his wish and became a commando. He fought in the Lebanon War but sustained an injury that resulted in him being discharged in 1982. While he was recovering, he found poker and began grinding live games around Israel.
A Better Life in Alaska?
After he recovered, Eli wanted a better life and immigrated to the USA, specifically Alaska where drove a cab to make ends meet. Accumulating enough savings, he opened a convenience store and worked at that for several years before his brother reached out to him in 1988 to invite him to Las Vegas to open a film processing business near the old Stardust Casino. Their stake to claim was developing film in just 30 minutes, creating one of the first express photo shops in the country. As that took off, Eli invested his money smartly and grew his wealth.
The Poker Bug Returns
Working in Las Vegas near the Stardust it was only a matter of time before Eli found his way into the casino. Starting small at first, he built both his skill set and his bankroll up and started playing in bigger cash games and tournaments. His first WSOP cash came in 1999 when he placed 7th in the $2500 Omaha Limit event and 10th in the $3000 Omaha Limit event. But it was several years before Eli found a massive score. In the summer of 2004, Eli cashed in the $10k Main Event at the WSOP for $15k and turned around and won the $10k WPT Mirage Poker Showdown for just over $1 Million dollars.
Eli Elezra – A Force to Be Reckon With
Eli has gone on to be one of the most fearsome poker players to deal with at the table. He has participated in The Big Game on several occasions, experiencing six figure bankroll swings in one session. He has captured 5 WSOP Bracelets in his career, most recently in 2022 where he won the $10,000 PLO H/L 8 or Better Championship for the second biggest win at $611k. He has a total of 76 cashes for almost $3.3 Million dollars at the WSOP but that doesn’t include $250,000 he won in 2007. He made a side bet that he would win a WSOP bracelet in 2007, putting down $25k and was given 10 to 1 odd that he wouldn’t win. Well, he captured the $3000 Seven Card Stud H/L 8 or Better bracelet for just under $200k and collected $250k on the side action!
His biggest accomplishment though might have happened in 2021. He had 3 final tables at the 2021 WSOP, including a 6th place in the $10,000 PLO Deepstack 8 Handed Championship but it was announced that Eli would be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
Eli Elezra Today
Eli is still active in the poker community, playing almost daily while he manages over 20 businesses that he owns, including a group of shows called Seven on the Las Vegas Strip. But he is a family man first and foremost; his wife is his biggest supporter and the oldest of his five children Hila is often seen railing his dad at tournaments where they will analyze losing hands – in Hebrew to not expose his thoughts. It was noted that he is still close with the military unit that he was deployed in, donating $50,000 to them back in 2006 to help build a new facility for the group. He might be more of a cash game player today, but you can expect Eli to continue playing in some of the biggest tournaments in Las Vegas – and running deep in them.
