Eli Elezra Takes Back Chip Lead Eli Elezra has taken back the chip lead on two huge hands. After the second hand he held his beer above his head declaring, "I feel no pain!"
Where Are We? The final table of the event feels like more of a frat party then a world championship heads up battle. Scotty Nguyen has ordered 4 drinks, two for him and two for Elezra. Elezra has stood and announced that he was drunk, then received massive applause from the crowd. With floor person Chris Spears calling for cocktails, Elezra took Nguyens beer and began to chug it. Luckily the players were not without their refreshments for long, because by the time Elezra had finished Nguyen's beer another member of the rail brought beers down to both of them (David Levi then came and stole Elezra's). All the while a crowd has been gathering, and things continue to loosen up.
Eli Elezra Wins Event #24 $3,000 Seven Card Stud High/Low Eight or Better
There is a laundry list of great players that have never won a World Series of Poker bracelet, but today you can scratch one star off the list. Eli Elezra outlasted a stellar field of 236 players who created a prize pool of $651,360. Elezra was arguably one of the greatest players never to win a bracelet until he defeated Scotty Nguyen heads up in a battle that lasted almost two hours. Elezra entered the day chip leader with $303,000 holding a slight edge against second place finisher Scotty Nugyen ($255,000). The rest of the field entered as follows: George Hardie ($182,000), David Sklansky ($171,000) Dutch Boyd ($170,000), Thor Hansen ($167,000), John Harkness ($141,000), Marshall Ragir ($28,000).
Elezra eliminated Dutch Boyd in third place to send him into heads up play with Scotty Nguyen. Boyd got all in with his last $72,000 against Elezra on third street showing (7-7)-Q. Elezra held K-K-Q and was ready to get his chips in the middle. In the end Boyd’s hand came K-Q-7-79-4-3 but it was not enough to best Elezra's K-K-Q-8-5-3-X. Boyd was sent home with a $71,650 payday.This solidified Elezra’s chip lead into heads up play and the count was Elezra $1,099,000 and Scotty Nguyen $318,000.
However Elezra did not hold the chip lead for long.Nguyen took the momentum from the beginning of the match, and by the end of the first hour had wrested the chip lead from Elezra.Soon after Elezra retook the chip lead, but both he and Nguyen had lost an important aspect of their game…sobriety.
Nguyen was double fisting his favorite brew, and soon enough Elezra had joined in the Dionysian revelry.Their match looked more like a frat party then a world championship poker tournament.It included a spectator coming down from the rail to deliver beer to the table and Elezra receiving a round of applause after he announced to the crowd he was drunk.Despite the antics the bracelet was on the line, and in a span of two hands Elezra crippled then eliminated Nguyen.
On seventh street, Elezra looked down at his cards, screams, “Yes!” then bets.Nguyen made the call then mucked a pair of sixes when Elezra showed 7-7-2-2.That left Nguyen with just $20,000 chips.He put them all in the middle on the next hand when he was dealt (7-7) A and Elezra called with (K-Q)-10.They both stood and toasted each other as the cards were dealt.Nguyen ended up with (7-7)-A-Q-10-2 for a pair of sevens, and was ahead when Elezra’s first six cards came (K-Q)-J-10-7-3.Elezra jumped on the table in celebration when he turned over an ace, which gave him the nut straight and the tournament.Elezra’s win gave him $198,984 and his first WSOP gold bracelet, interestingly rumor has it in also won him another half million in side action.Either way he should be able to afford the one thing he will need tomorrow, ibuprofen.
Heads Up Here are the chip counts for the heads up battle.
Eli Elezra-- $1,099,000
Scotty Nguyen -- $318,000
First hand On the first hand of heads up play, Nguyen knowing that Elezra was going to bet said, "Just bet blind baby!" Elezra agreed, bet blind and Nguyen called. Not surprisingly they ended up splitting the pot.
Nguyen Fires First Salvo Scotty Nguyen has taken the first major pot of the match with three eights versus Eli Elezra's pair of kings.
Nguyen Takes Control Scotty Nguyen just took down another huge pot with fives full. He now has the chip lead.
Break Hour four begins with the players taking an unscheduled break.
Structure Raised It is now $5,000 ante, $5,000 bring in, $20,000 completion and $20,000-$40,000 betting limits.
Three Handed The field is down to three players: four time WSOP bracelet winner Scotty Nguyen, 2006 WSOP bracelet winner Dutch Boyd, and arguably one of the best players in the world that is yet to win a bracelet, Eli Elezra.
Dutch Boyd Eliminated 3rd ($71,650) Dutch Boyd gets all in with his last $72,000 against Eli Elezra. Boyd showed (7-7)Q and Elezra K-K-Q. In the end Boyds hand came K-Q-7-79-4-3 but it was not enough to best Elezra's K-K-Q-8-5-3-X. Boyd is sent home in 3rd place with a $71,650 payday.
Heads Up
Elezra and Nguyen are taking a 15 minute break before heads up play.
Post Lost Once again a post has been lost to technical issues.
David Sklansky Eliminated 5th ($35,825) Scotty Nugyen crippled then eliminated David Sklansky in two consecutive hands. In the first of the hands bets went in all the way to the river. Sklansky was visibly frustrated when his trip 8's were no good against Nguyens 6 high straight, with the 5 low. That left Sklansky with just $40,000 in chips, and he got it in on the next hand. Sklansky moved all in for on 4th street in a three way pot against Scotty Nugyen and Eli Elezra. Sklansky has a pair of queens but the ladies were no match for Nguyen's 9-9-4-4 and Elezra's 8 low.
Jon Harkness Eliminated 4th ($47,224) Jon Harkness gets it all in against Eli Elezra. Elezra starts with a pair of 3's, and both players make a pair of aces. Elezra's two pair A-A-3-3 is good and he takes down the pot. Harkness wins $47,224 for his efforts.
George Hardie Eliminated 7th ($20,844) George Hardie gets it all in on fourth street with two tens in the hold, but is called by Eli Elezra with two kings. The rest of the cards blank for both players and Hardie is eliminated 7th for a $20,844 payday.
Big Laydowns In a three way hand with a massive pot Jon Harkness goes all in for his last $10,000 chips on seventh street. To everyone surprise both Dutch Boyd and Scotty Nugyen fold. Eli Elezra appeared genuinely upset, but Harkness tabled two pair and obviously had the best hand. Dutch Boyd said he had A-2-3-4 and whiffed, Nguyen just muttered something about more beer.
Thor Hansen Eliminated 6th ($27,357) In a three way pot, Hansen get all his chips in the middle on fifth street against David Sklansky and Scotty Nguyen. They check down, and Sklansky takes the high with two pair J-J-10-10 and Nguyen tables a 7 low. Hanson's 9-9-4-4 is no good and he is eliminated in 6th place taking home $27,357.
Break The hour ends with all players on a 15 minute break.
Level 17...Going Up
Play begins with 17 halfway over. The betting is $2,000 ante, $2,000 bring in, $8,000 completion, and betting limit of $8,000-$16,000.
Heads Up
In the early going there has yet to be a multi-way pot past fourth street. Play have been heads up, with any pot that has reached seventh street being split.
Marshall Ragireliminated 8th ($14,981) The first elimination of the day came early in the first round at the expense of Marshall Ragir. Ragir got it all in on 4th street against George Hardie. Hardie showed the best hand with a pair of eights, and it held up against Ragir's pair of twos. Ragir is sent home in eight place for a $14,981 payday.
Blind Raised
The antes are $2,000, $3,000 bring in, $10,000 complete and $10,000-$20,000 betting.
