Eli Elezra

Knowing poker and recognizing the people that have had the most influence on poker, such as Eli Elezra - may be crucial to understanding the game of poker to it's absolute fullest. Eli Elezra has had a great impact on everything that we know about this wonderful and sometimes even crazy game that we call poker. Let's start from the beginning and go back, back to where Eli came from, who he is, and how he came to be part of the poker elite that thousands of people have come to know and want more of.

Eli Elezra came into this world on Nov. 24, 1960. He was born in Jerusalem, Israel and came to playing cards as a young man with his friends - possibly because there isn't a single casino in Israel! Soon after completing high school, he decided that he wanted to join the military in the unit that he desired, which did happen after an unfortunate event of being jailed for a few weeks after not wanting to join the air force. After four years or so in the military, Elezra was injured in the war and was discharged. While trying to recover his health, he started to play poker and work on his gaming skills. After regaining his strength and getting healed up, he traveled to Alaska in hopes of making more money for a better life. He then bought a convenience store after having a job driving a cab.

Around this period of time is when his brother made a trip to Nevada in the U.S. and let Eli know about all of the wonders and opportunities that were prevalent in Las Vegas at the time. It was then in the late eighties that Elezra had seen all of the great chances to get in on the action and move himself forward in ways that he probably never thought possible. When he arrived in Las Vegas, he purchased many different businesses, shops and even a club - many of these which have proven to be fruitful and worth the investment put into them. His true love however would turn out to be poker.

After working on building his businesses, by the late nineties, he had began to be seen playing with well known poker greats like Doyle Brunson and Sam Farha and building not only his profile, but his bankroll as well. This is the time when he realized he had to tighten up his game so that he could take everything up to another level. In 1999, Eli also took part in his first WSOP and in later years made it to the end in two different events which is impressive, especially for that particular tournament. In 2004 Elezra came in for the kill with an astonishing one million dollar win at the World Poker Tour which, if anything, cemented the view of him as a more than worthy opponent in the eyes of millions (fans, enthusiasts and fellow players alike). He took home his very first bracelet in 2007 after the WSP game. As of 2008, Eli Elezra has continued to build on the poker status that we know with no signs of stopping.