| The winner of the Seven-Card Stud High-Low Split World Championship was Eli
Elezra. He is a 46-year-old poker player and investor from Henderson, NV. Elezra
holds duel-citizenship and also has personal connections to his native Israel.
Elezra was born in Jerusalem. He once served as a commando in the Israeli
Army.
Elezra's victory was a real crowd pleaser. He's been a regular WSOP attendee
since 1999, yet had not won a gold bracelet until now. Elezra received a standing
ovation from players when he was announced as the winner inside the expansive
WSOP tournament room.
The heads-up match between Elezra and Scotty Nguyen was a poker entertainment
at its very finest. The players started drinking beer together at the table
and bantered constantly. The jovial nature of the proceedings masked what was
a phenomenal heads-up confrontation. Elezra started off the duel with a 2 to
1 chip lead. But Nguyen reversed the lead over the next half hour and appeared
primed to deliver a final knock-out punch. Elezra clawed back to even and then
went on to win the tournament. His winning hand was an ace-high straight.
Elezra complimented Nguyen afterward, saying the former world champion was
the one person he did not want to play against heads-up. "He is such a
great player," Elezra said. "To win this is amazing. But to win against
a player like Scotty - that makes it all the more meaningful to me."
First place paid $198,984. This was Elezra's first WSOP gold bracelet after
11 in-the-money finishes. His previous best finish was sixth place. Elezra has
won other majors, but this was the victory that mattered most.
Scotty Nguyen, a.k.a. "The Prince of Poker," was the runner-up.
The 1998 WSOP champion played a fabulous tournament and added his unique personality
and flair to the finale. Despite ESPN's cameras being off for a few days, the
seating section inside the poker arena was filled to capacity. The crowd was
divided in allegiance - as each player in his own way deserved to win.
Play at the final table lasted about five hours, during which 177 hands
were played.
Elezra is known to gamble big. Following his victory, he revealed that he
made a huge side bet with another poker player prior to the start of the World
Series, getting 10 to 1 on his money that he would win a gold bracelet this
year. Elezra posted $25,000 and promptly collected $250,000 for his win. Confident
of victory, he also made several assorted side bets with other players prior
to the start of the final table, which boosted his total cash prize win to over
half-a-million dollars.
This was one of the most eclectic final tables in WSOP memory. Each of the
final eight players was notable in some way in his respective field. Four of
the finalists were former WSOP gold bracelet winners, with a combined ten titles
between them.
Dutch Boyd is one of poker's more controversial figures. He burst upon the
scene during the 2003 WSOP and was featured widely on ESPN's coverage that year.
He has since won his first WSOP gold bracelet, victorious at what was perhaps
the most exciting final table of last year's WSOP against then-defending WSOP
champion Joe Hachem. Boyd's bid for bracelet number two came up short.
Canadian John Harkness took fourth place. He is well-known in the BARGE poker
community (which is a group of a few hundred poker devotees who discuss poker
online regularly and meet once a year in Las Vegas). Harkness is known outside
the poker world as a noted film critic, the de facto "Roger Ebert of Toronto."
Noted poker theorist David Sklansky finished in fifth place. This was Sklansky's
highest WSOP finish in six years. He is a three-time gold bracelet winner who
has arguably contributed more to the education of poker players through his
writings than any person in history.
Norwegian-born Thor Hansen has been one of the most consistent players at
this year's World Series. This marked his second final table and fourth time
to cash. Hansen moved up to 13th on the all-time "Number of Cashes"
list - with 38 times in-the-money (lifetime). He took sixth.
George Hardie, a true poker pioneer, went out in seventh-place. Hardie is
best-known as the founder and former owner of the Bicycle Club Casino in Los
Angeles, which at one time was the largest poker room in the world.
Marshall Ragir went out in 8th place. He is a consultant for a poker and
digital gaming company. Ragir is also well-known as a winning sports handicapper.
"Miami John" Cernuto, the former air-traffic controller turned
poker pro, cashed in this event (10th place). It was his second in-the-money
finish at this year's World Series. He moved up to ninth-place on the all-time
"Number of Cashes" list, with 41.
Bruce Atkinson (a.k.a. "Senior Elvis") hails from England. He
has thrilled audiences for years with his wickedly entertaining Elvis impersonation,
including performing songs at several WSOP events in recent years. Atkinson
finished 14th in this tournament.
Poker commentator and goodwill ambassador Mike Sexton cashed again (third
time) with his 18th-place showing. He now has 43 lifetime cashes, good for eighth-place
on the all-time list.
Artie Cobb cashed again (21st). No surprise that it was a seven-card stud-related
event. Cobb was once widely considered the best stud player in the world during
the 1990s. | 
