Congratulations to Eli Elezra, Event #59: $2,500 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball Champion ($173,236)
On this eve of the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event, one of the most stacked final tables of all of this summer's preliminary events has come to a conclusion, with Eli Elezra topping a tough field, a talented final table, and coming back against a formidable heads-up opponent in Daniel Negreanu to claim his second WSOP bracelet in Event #59: $2,500 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball.
It has been six years since Elezra won his first bracelet. He also beat out another of poker's best heads-up back in 2007 when he outlasted Scotty Nguyen for the title in the $3,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better event. Having now become a multiple braclet winner, Elezra already has his sights on gathering more.
"I'm gonna try to get about five more�� maybe catch Hellmuth, you know?" said Elezra while cracking his ever-present grin as he thanked the audience for their support of his win.
Today's final day saw just 10 players return from the starting field of 282, with six bracelet winners among them. After a short-stacked Mike Watson fell in 10th place early, three-time bracelet winner Michael Mizrachi (ninth), Alexander Condon (eighth), and Eric Wasserson (seventh) followed during the afternoon, setting up a six-handed final table at which five of the players had already won WSOP gold.
Three of those bracelet winners would fall first, as Scott Seiver (sixth), start-of-day-3 leader David "ODB" Baker (fifth), and David Chiu (fourth) all hit the rail prior to the dinner break. Negreanu had pushed into the lead by then, and after a short-stacked Brian Brubaker finally fell in third, it was five-time bracelet winner Negreanu versus Elezra with "Kid Poker" enjoying the advantage to start heads-up play.
But the 41 hands between the pair mostly went Elezra's way as he soon evened the score, then pushed ahead thanks in part to a big hand in which he made a wheel on the third draw. Soon all the chips were on Elezra's side of the table. Negreanu congratulated his friend with a handshake and hug before rushing off to join Event 61: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha, and Elezra was soon delivering his thanks to the crowd.
Lynn Gilmartin was on hand to speak with Elezra straight after his win:
And with that we thank you for following our coverage of Event #59. Be sure to return to PokerNews tomorrow as the summer's excitement continues with Day 1a of the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event!