Eli Elezra Defeats Zolotow & Negreanu to Win the USPO $10K 8-Game ($183,600)
Eli Elezra has once again proven he is one of the best mixed-game players in the world after emerging victorious on a star-studded final table to win the U.S. Poker Open: Event #6: $10,000 8-Game for $183,600.
The title comes nearly two years to the day of when he won his fourth WSOP bracelet in Event #20: $1,500 Seven Card Stud in 2019. Elezra's three other bracelets were also in mixed game events with two seven-card stud titles and one title each in stud hi-lo and limit 2-7 triple draw.
Making the win even more impressive, Elezra defeated six-time bracelet WSOP champion and GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Negreanu during three-handed play before coming from behind to oust two-time WSOP bracelet winner Steve Zolotow in heads-up play.
The event itself was widely received by the high roller community after attracting 68 entries to create a $680,000 prize pool. The final table was broadcasted to poker fans around the world at the subscription-based PokerGO.
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Event #6: $10,000 8-Game Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eli Elezra | United States | $183,600 |
| 2 | Steve Zolotow | United States | $136,000 |
| 3 | Daniel Negreanu | Canada | $88,400 |
| 4 | Richard Sklar | United States | $68,000 |
| 5 | Erik Sagstrom | Sweden | $54,400 |
| 6 | Nick Guagenti | United States | $40,800 |
| 7 | David "ODB" Baker | United States | $34,000 |
Final Table Action
David "ODB" Baker began the final table with the chip lead but things fell apart quickly as he went from hero to zero to find himself on the rail after just four hands.
According to the Poker Central blog, Baker first doubled up Negreanu before suffering a colossal bad beat to exit in seventh place for $34,000 when his aces failed to hold against Zolotow's suited big slick.
Just before the final table stream kicked off at PokerGO, Elezra eliminated a short-stacked Nick Guagenti in sixth place for $40,800 and was neck and neck with Zolotow for the chip lead.
While Elezra was busy building his stack, Negreanu was busy eliminating opponents as he took the short stacks of Richard Sklar (fourth - $68,000) during a round of no-limit hold'em on a coinflip with ace-jack suited vs. eights and Erik Sagstrom (fifth - $54,400) during a round of pot-limit Omaha hi-lo.
Negreanu's momentum ended during a round of pot-limit Omaha with the three players remaining all closely bunched. He first lost a hand to Zolotow to leave him short on chips when he called a pot-sized river bet with top two pair against Zolotow's broadway straight. Elezra dusted off the stack of "Kid Poker" two hands later to send him packing in third place for $88,400.
Zolotow kicked off the heads-up battle with a small chip advantage against Elezra. That didn't last long as Elezra appeared to have all the momentum at the final table. Zolotow did regain the lead at one point before Elezra regained control and stormed ahead to a 9:1 chip advantage.
Elezra then sealed the deal for the victory in a hand of stud hi-low with Zolotow committing his stack on fifth street with a pair of fives. Elezra had a solid low draw but all he needed was a seven on sixth street to improve to a pair of sevens to beat Zolotow's fives to eliminate his opponent in second place for $136,000 and win the title.
2021 U.S. Poker Open Championship Standings
USPO Event #3 champion Joe McKeehen was sitting on top of the 2021 U.S. Poker Open Championship Standings for the second straight day.
Meanwhile, Steve Zolotow hopped from seventh to second place on the leaderboard thanks to his third final table appearance capped off with a runner-up performance in Event #6.
Event #1 winner Jake Daniels, who was on top of the leaderboard after each of the first four events, is still in good shape in third place with Event #5 winner Joey Weissman and Event #2 winner Sam Soverel rounding out the top five spots.
| Rank | Player | Points | Wins | Cashes | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe McKeehen | 302 | 1 | 2 | $302,200 |
| 2 | Steve Zolotow | 289 | 0 | 3 | $289,000 |
| 3 | Jake Daniels | 219 | 1 | 1 | $218,500 |
| 4 | Joey Weissman | 204 | 1 | 1 | $204,000 |
| 5 | Sam Soverel | 195 | 1 | 2 | $194,500 |
| 6 | Dan Shak | 186 | 0 | 2 | $186,000 |
| 7 | Eli Elezra | 184 | 1 | 1 | $183,600 |
| 8 | John Riordan | 182 | 1 | 2 | $182,200 |
| 9 | Barry Hutter | 153 | 0 | 2 | $152,500 |
| 10 | Jordan Cristos | 147 | 0 | 2 | $147,000 |
2021 U.S. Poker Open Results
| Event | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Country | Prize |
| Event #1: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em | 95 | $950,000 | Jake Daniels | United States | $218,500 |
| Event #2: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha | 65 | $650,000 | Sam Soverel | United States | $175,000 |
| Event #3: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em | 77 | $770,000 | Joe McKeehen | United States | $200,200 |
| Event #4: $10,000 Big Bet Mix | 48 | $480,000 | John Riordan | United States | $163,200 |
| Event #5: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em | 85 | $850,000 | Joey Weissman | United States | $204,000 |
| Event #6: $10,000 8-Game | 68 | $680,000 | Eli Elezra | United States | $183,600 |
*Images courtesy of Poker Central