About Eli Elezra

Name	Eli Elezra
Current Residence	Las Vegas Nev.
Born	Nov. 24, 1960
Birth Place	Jerusalem, IL

Though he has years of poker play to his name - not to mention millions of dollars in cash game and tournament winnings - Eli Elezra doesn't consider himself a poker pro.

First and foremost, he is a family man. Secondly, a multi-million dollar businessperson with several successful ventures on the Las Vegas strip.

Finally, he is a poker player. And although he is a regular in the Big Game at the Bellagio and at tournament tables, Elezra doesn't lump himself in with the likes of Phil Ivey and Barry Greenstein.

Elezra was born Nov. 24, 1960, in Israel. He was raised in Jerusalem, where he first learned to play cards against friends. When he graduated high school though, the Israeli army was on his mind. Every Israeli must serve in the military, and Elezra wanted to become a member of his country's elite commando unit, the Golani Brigade.

But the military had other ideas and told the teen he had to serve in the air force. He held out, eventually serving three weeks in prison for his refusal to comply with orders. But his persistence won out and, after clearing all the hurdles, Elezra became a member of one of the most highly decorated infantry units in the Israeli Defense Forces.

A leg injury sustained during the 1982 Lebanon War sidelined Elezra's four-year military career. Being stuck in a hospital, though, gave him time to work on his poker game. After healing and discharging from the military, Elezra headed north to Alaska in search of rumored big paychecks.

The money was there, but the work was tough and dirty. Again, Elezra remained persistent and stuck it out in Alaska, driving a cab and later purchasing a convenience store.

It was at that time his brother took a vacation in Las Vegas and told Elezra of all the business opportunities to be had in the glittering city. He landed on the strip in 1988, and promptly purchased a small film-processing business. It was right by the Stardust casino, convenient for quick hands of Hold'em and Omaha.

After opening up the film shop, Elezra continued to invest in property around the city and in new businesses. He now has more than 20 retail shops and owns the popular night club Seven, located on the Vegas strip.

Elezra had built an empire and with it, a big bankroll. While working on his businesses, however, Elezra had also been perfecting his poker game. By the late 1990s, he was a wealthy man and had graduated from his $10 games at the Stardust to competing against pros such as Doyle Brunson and Chip Reese at the Big Game in Bobby's Room at the Bellagio.

He also started appearing regularly in tournaments in the city. His first World Series of Poker appearance came in 1999 and he made the final in two events: $2,000 Limit Hold'em and $2,500 Limit Omaha. He saw the final table of the 2001 WSOP $2,000 Limit Hold'em event and, in 2003, finished ninth in $2,500 Limit Hold'em.

His biggest win came in 2004, however, when he claimed the World Poker Tour $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em main event at the Mirage Poker Showdown in Las Vegas. Success brought with it a $1 million paycheck.

Though he may not be the most prolific tournament player, Elezra plays poker almost every night and has accumulated substantial wealth through his side-game winnings. But each day, he still heads into the office to manage his profitable chain of businesses, allowing for enough time to spend with his large family.

Elezra is married to Hila, a woman he says is his biggest supporter, and the couple has five children: Jonathan, Guy, Sean, Ryan and Maya.

Trivia

• Former elite Israeli soldier
• A successful businessman who owns a chain of retail stores and the popular Las Vegas nightclub Seven