Eli Elezra, and The Setup

As Eli Elezra tells it, Rene Angelil set up his own wife. You see, Angelil was playing in a high-stakes poker game at Bellagio, and he invited his wife to watch the game on her birthday. Because Angelil's wife is Celine Dion, all of the players at the table invited their spouses or girlfriends to watch the game. Some of the players who were there -- along with their significant others -- were David Grey, Jennifer Harman, Ralph Perry, and Jim McKeon. You see, Dion was interested in learning the game, and wanted to sit behind her husband as he played. Dion made a memorable entrance when she walked in with three bodyguards who were all three times as thick as me, and at least as tall! She was greeted by her husband, "Hi, honey," as the cards were dealt, and the setup began. Angelil made it $5,000 to go, Elezra reraised to $20,000 to go, and Angelil called. On the flop, Angelil bet $30,000, Elezra made it $60,000, and then both players "splashed" all of their chips into the pot! (The splash was for effect.) They had put nearly $250,000 each into the pot, and Elezra flipped up A-4 and won it. Of course, the players knew that it was a setup and that the pot would be split; Angelil just wanted to see Dion's reaction. She didn't even blink!

Angelil turned to her and said, "Honey, we set you up with that fake hand. It is actually a split pot. You sure handled that loss well!"

Dion smiled, and said, "I didn't react because I thought you played like that every day."

Dion hung out for three hours and was incredibly nice and polite to everyone there, even taking pictures with the players, their significant others, and the floorpeople. Before Dion left, she said, "I'm gonna get you, Eli!"

Elezra has one World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet and one World Poker Tour (WPT) victory, and is a highly respected cash-game player who has held his own for years in the biggest cash games in the world. His WPT win was for more than $1 million (at the Mirage), and was done as a rare wire-to-wire victory. His WSOP bracelet was won in the 2007 $3,000 buy-in seven-card stud eight-or-better event. His heads-up opponent was 1998 World Champion Scotty Nguyen, and when Elezra won, he said that it was "the greatest feeling ever for me!"

Elezra also was incredibly happy because he won more than $1 million in side bets at the 2007 WSOP. One of the 13 side bets that he won was that he would win a WSOP bracelet at 10-to-1 odds for $25,000; so, he won $250,000 in addition to the bracelet and the first-place prize money!

Elezra's other side bets included the following: He laid Phil Ivey 5-to-1 on winning a WSOP bracelet for $100,000. Gus Hansen bet $50,000 that he would win a bracelet at 5.5-to-1. David Benyamine bet $50,000 at 5-to-1 that he could win a WSOP bracelet. The late, great Chip Reese bet $50,000 at 5-to-1 that he would win a WSOP bracelet (Reese was one of Elezra's best friends, and Elezra is thankful to Reese for helping him achieve a better quality of life). Doyle Brunson and Chip bet $50,000 apiece on Barry Greenstein to win a WSOP bracelet at 3.5-to-1. Doyle bet $50,000 on himself to win a WSOP bracelet at 5-to-1 (Doyle bought out for $15,000 after one week). Doyle bet $100,000 on his son, Todd Brunson, at 5-to-1 to win a WSOP bracelet. Darrell Dicken bet $50,000 on himself to win a WSOP bracelet at 5-to-1. Brandon Adams bet $10,000 on himself at 6-to-1 to win a WSOP bracelet. Two others (whose names must remain anonymous) bet $50,000 each on winning a WSOP bracelet at 8-to-1. And they all lost! Elezra scooped all of his bets for more than $1 million in profit!

Elezra is also known as a great businessman in Las Vegas. He owns more than 20 retail and souvenir shops on Las Vegas Boulevard, including a City Life USA franchise that sells high-quality shoes, purses, and jewelry. Elezra also owns a nightclub, a shopping center, medical buildings, and tons of land all over Las Vegas. The man is a star in business, in poker, and with his family. One of the things that I love about Elezra is that his wife is at the poker room with him more than any other spouse in the poker world. You will always find Elezra talking about his wife and children; he and his wife made it together, moving from Alaska to Vegas and starting new businesses along the way. Keep on kicking butt, Eli!