The Scoop -- Eli Elezra

Eli Elezra not only has had enormous tournament success, including having won a World Series of Poker bracelet, he’s also been a regular fixture in the “Big Game.” He is known for the action that he gives in cash games, as well as for the prop bets that high-stakes players commonly make with each other on the suits or colors of flops and boards. Winnings are paid only if a player announces it once he’s won. Should he forget to announce it, it’s called “sleeping” a prop, and winnings are not awarded. During the 2008 WSOP, Elezra sat down with Adam and Diego and talked about it.

Diego Cordovez: You mentioned that you were kind of the godfather of bracelet bets. Are you also one of the key guys behind these prop bets? One thing that people don’t realize is that in the Big Game especially, there’s as much money going back and forth on props as there is in the actual game.

Eli Elezra: I would say that the godfather would be Doyle Brunson, and probably not far behind him would be Ted Forrest. Ted loves those weight bets [laughing].

DC: What about the prop bets on flops?

Adam Schoenfeld: And certain suits?

EE: Oh, those. Yeah, those prop bets are me.

DC: At least with the other bets, I can see there is a skill element, but here, the skill is in not sleeping the prop bets. This is a very different thing. You are playing for high stakes, and you’re also having to stay aware of the bets.

EE: You’re right. Let’s say we’re playing $3,000-$6,000; when we’re betting props, it’s like we’re playing $6,000-$12,000. Props are sometimes bigger than the game. I remember the first year of High Stakes Poker; they let us do it, but the audience was confused. They didn’t understand when Daniel [Negreanu] said, “I see it!” So, they made us stop doing it.

DC: You guys are also distracted by it, because it’s almost as if guys are not playing hands because they are so focused on the props. It’s bad for the show.

EE: Believe it or not, I think that it has helped my game. I just played last night. We played pretty late, Doyle and me and the rest of the guys. I played props with Doyle. Now, every time I sit with Doyle, we play. I think it’s helped my game because, first of all, I’m playing better. I’m a lot more discriminating in my hand selection, so I can concentrate on the flop. I just love it. I love the action. Doyle is action. He gives you action all the time. That’s the reason why I like Sammy Farha. In high-stakes games or any other game, you have to give action to get action. David Benyamine is one of those guys, too.

DC: Of course, without naming names, are there certain guys who are known for sleeping their props or who are weaker on the props?

EE: Absolutely, or we wouldn’t play it.

DC: Well, I think that they would play, regardless.

EE: But the fun thing is to show them that they slept it [laughing].

DC: [Laughing] To tilt them.

EE: Doyle told me yesterday, “You know, I played with Phil Ivey for an hour and 10 minutes in the tournament, and he beat me for $195,000. Not only that, he told me that I slept $40,000!”

DC: That’s actually what prompted my question. Someone told me that he was at the same table with Doyle Brunson, and that Doyle had the props going with Phil Ivey for enormous amounts, and that there were a few that Doyle slept. The basketball game was on, so Phil was focused on the game, talking about that just to make sure that the props wouldn’t be picked up [by Doyle]. He wanted to make sure to keep the focus away from the table.

EE: I’ll tell you what, these guys hardly ever sleep the bets. Phil Ivey is amazing. It doesn’t matter what he’s doing, his eyes are moving. He’s so good with that.