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Saturday, June 16, 2007 8:07 PM Local Time
Once this event got heads up, it turned into a carnival atmosphere. The drinks were flying as quickly as the cards, and at times, the players didn't seem overly interested in the outcome.
While Eli Elezra won nearly $200,000 in prize money, he made much more with the side action. He specifically mentioned a bet with Barry Greenstein -- Greenstein put him at 10-to-1 to win a bracelet this year, and Elezra bet $25,000. Elezra can now collect the $250,000, and during his interview he said, "I'm sorry, Barry Greenstein. I got you, baby!"
Elezra mentioned additional side action which might take his total earnings to $500,000 -- plus the paltry $200,000 of "official" prize money.
This is Eli Elezra's first WSOP bracelet, and before today, he was one of the best poker players in the world without one on his resume. That can't be said anymore.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:49 PM Local Time
Hand #177 - Scotty Nguyen is all in on third street, and he shows (7-7) A. Elezra shows (K-Q) 10. The final hands look like this on sixth street:
Eli Elezra: (K-Q) 10-7-3-J
Scotty Nguyen: (7-7) A-2-10-Q
Nguyen has the lead with a pair of sevens, but Elezra has a lot of outs -- an open-ended straight draw and four over cards. The last card is dealt, and both players take a very, very long time to look at their cards.
After about two minutes of back-and-forth teasing, Elezra starts to climb on the table with his knees, and he shows his last card -- the
. Nguyen is drawing dead.
Eli Elezra wins the hand -- and his first WSOP bracelet -- with an ace-high straight.
Scotty Nguyen is eliminated in second place, earning $110,731.
Eli Elezra wins Event #24 ($3,000 Seven Card Stud Hi Lo), earning $198,984, a Corum watch, and a coveted WSOP bracelet.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:43 PM Local Time
Eli Elezra - 1,397,000
Scotty Nguyen - 20,000
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:43 PM Local Time
Hand #176 - Elezra and Nguyen take the hand to seventh street, betting the entire way.
Elezra yells, "Yes!" as he looks at his last card, and then he bets. Nguyen calls.
Elezra shows two pair, sevens and deuces, which he apparently made on the last card. Nguyen shows a pair of sixes, and Elezra takes the pot.
Elezra's chip "stack" is just one big messy pile that he runs his hands through.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:40 PM Local Time
Hand #175 - Elezra (2-8-9-Q) and Nguyen (4-3-7-2) take it to seventh street. Nguyen shows two pair, threes and deuces, and Elezra shows two pair, nines and eights. Elezra takes the pot.
It took Elezra a good 15 seconds to figure out he had the better hand. He then knocks over Nguyen's chips again. They are drinking and laughing like old friends.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:37 PM Local Time
Hand #174 - Elezra takes the pot on third street.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:36 PM Local Time
Eli Elezra - 1,076,000
Scotty Nguyen - 341,000
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:36 PM Local Time
Hand #173 - Elezra takes the pot on fourth street.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:35 PM Local Time
Hand #172 - Nguyen takes the pot on third street, showing (K-8) A.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:35 PM Local Time
Hand #171 - There is a pause after fourth street so the two players can take a drink, tapping their cups together.
Elezra (3-8-2-K) and Nguyen (4-9-3-A) take it to sixth street, and Elezra helps Nguyen bet -- by reaching over and putting Nguyen's chips in the pot. Elezra then raises, and Nguyen calls all in.
Eli shows an 8-7 low, while Nguyen has an 8-6 low. Elezra says, "I didn't mean to raise."
The last card is dealt and Nguyen scoops the pot with a pair of nines for the high and an 8-6 low. Scotty Nguyen doubles up in chips.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:30 PM Local Time
Scotty Nguyen: "Okay, from now on, we don't look!"
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:30 PM Local Time
Hand #170 - Elezra takes the pot on third street.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:30 PM Local Time
Hand #169 - Nguyen takes the pot on third street. They're acting so quickly and rashly that often we can't see the cards.
Eli Elezra stands up and grabs Scotty Nguyen's drink, and then downs it in one gulp to the delight of the crowd. Nguyen just laughs.
Once again, the tournament director calls for "Cocktails!"
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:29 PM Local Time
Elezra is shouting with random people in the crowd, as if to toast their health.
Hand #168 - Nguyen takes the pot on third street.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:28 PM Local Time
Hand #167 - Elezra takes the pot on fourth street.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:28 PM Local Time
Eli Elezra - 1,125,000
Scotty Nguyen - 292,000
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:28 PM Local Time
Hand #166 - Elezra folds on fifth street, but only after he kills his own hand by flipping over Nguyen's cards. This is like a crazy drunken home game right now.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:26 PM Local Time
Eli Elezra stands up and messes up Scotty Nguyen's chip stacks, creating a mess. The chip count girl is nearby, and Elezra says, "Now she can't count it!"
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:25 PM Local Time
Hand #165 - They play the hand to the end, and Scotty Nguyen is nearly all in. Elezra has two pair showing, aces and fours, but can do no better than that. Nguyen has an 8 low, and it's a split pot.
Saturday, June 16, 2007 7:24 PM Local Time
The players are having a good old time. As the tournament director yells for "Cocktails!" I can't help but think that if they were on an airplane, they'd be cut off.