Cole South accuses Eli Elezra of scamming him of $40k and practicing avoidance

Major embarrassment for Eli Elezra and 2+2.

The background:

Eli Elezra has written an autobiography, and he's publishing it through Two Plus Two Publishing.

In order to promote the book, Eli, who doesn't usually post on forums, showed up on 2+2's NVG forum and did an "Ask Me Anything" thread.

A few people asked Eli about accusations regarding bad poker debts and scamming, and Eli denied everything. "I pay my debts", said Eli several times in the thread.

People reluctantly accepted these answers, until "cts" -- aka Cole South -- showed up in the thread and posted this:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cts

I really don't like to get involved in public drama, but I can't stay on the sidelines when I see something like this.

Eli borrowed $100k from me during a cash game in Bobby's Room on July 15th 2010, toward the end of a long summer where we played a ton against each other and generally got along very well. At the end of the session, one of the most seasoned high stakes Vegas regs pulled me aside and warned me what I did wasn't a good idea, and not to do it again.

We didn't cross paths my final few days in Vegas that summer. Over the course of the next year, he was responsive and widdled down the debt from $100k to $40k (a few grand at a time, via Full Tilt transfer), which he still owes me. By summer 2011, he had stopped making payments but was still responsive with plenty of reasons why he couldn't.

Since then, he's been basically nonresponsive. I've sent him messages every now and then when he's hit a big tournament score and he's ignored them. The only time I got a response was when we were both in Vegas playing the same tournament, and he asked me not to make a public scene about it. I still have screen shots of texts and other evidence, but would like to give him a chance to respond before sharing more.

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Source: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=202


Eli vanished after that post, and I'm guessing isn't coming back.

Now Mason Malmuth is taking heat for failing to do his due diligence regarding Eli, especially since the book apparently does not honestly address the scamming/owing money rumors, despite being a supposed tell-all autobiography.

Some are pressuring Mason to drop Eli's book unless Eli agrees to have his share of the profits diverted directly to Cole South.

Mat Sklansky showed up briefly and posted this:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mat Sklansky

Piping in. If a mistake was made here, it was a mistake. I won't have anything further to say on the matter until we have more information and that will clearly take time.

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Mason claims that he didn't know about the Cole South debt at the time the agreement to publish was made (which I agree), but it seems unlikely that Mason didn't know that there were many stories like this about Eli, including ones published all over Mason's own forum.

Developing...

Gookie still obsessing in that thread , asking Eli if he knows Todd....

He doesn’t.

OH SNAAAAP

Not surprised he hasn't heard of me. We've had zero interaction aside from playing a short time last year at the WSOP.

Anyway, he posted an "explanation" regarding what happened with Cole:

Quote:

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What happened with Cole and I goes back to the Full Tilt days. He has a very different understanding than I do of what we agreed on back then. It was a private conversation and it is not something I will address here, or on any public forum. This is the last time I will be addressing this issue on this thread. Cole, you are welcome to contact me and we can discuss how to resolve our differences.

I’m happy to stay on the thread a little longer and keep answering any genuine questions people have about me, my life, the book, etc.

That’s all for now.

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Source: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=336

:lol

You've gotta be freaking kidding me.

Cole responds to Eli's laughable answer: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=360


Also, Cole posted this:

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/c...r-Id%3D3137511

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan Druff

Major embarrassment for Eli Elezra and 2+2.

The background:

Eli Elezra has written an autobiography, and he's publishing it through Two Plus Two Publishing.

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Minor quibble: this book was originally published in Israel a couple years ago; biography was written in Hebrew, and recently translated into English at the behest of 2p2. English version now available via 2p2.

Elezra didnt write any of the book, unless I'm misunderstanding my Hebrew. It's a bio, not autobio.

Still a scammer, just some minor corrections on the book.

Lol mason deleted the thread. What a fucking joke

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan Druff

Cole responds to Eli's laughable answer: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=360


Also, Cole posted this:

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/c...r-Id%3D3137511

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Cole South can’t afford to update iOS? What year is this

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Erin Micunt

Lol mason deleted the thread. What a fucking joke

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The bigger joke is that I didn't copy/paste the Cole South response because I didn't want to be hassled by Mason's lawyer again for posting too many copy/pastes from a thread there.

And now it's gone, and I wish I had. Maybe I can dig in the cache and find it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrTickle

Cole South can’t afford to update iOS? What year is this

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looks like a screenshot from 2012...

Here's a Sklansky post I fished out.

Unfortunately I couldn't get the Cole South 2nd post except for the text message screenshot.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by David Sklansky

First to set the record straight, I have not read the book, had nothing to do with the project, and have no piece of it. I am a part owner of the website but not the publishing business. I have a small piece of most other author's strategy books in return for reviewing them.

When Mason told me he was going to publish Eli's autobiography, I asked him if Eli's issues had been resolved and he said yes. He mentioned three normally trustworthty people who had recommended that the book be published. I knew that Mason tends to trust others more than he should but I didn't worry about it because the book wasn't in the same category as possibly fallacious information that could cost people money. Furthermore, if it was in fact true that Eli owed money and was slow paying it back, it
by no means, meant that those who were owed, objected to the book.

In other words the lack of absolute certainty about Eli's situation seemed acceptable in a way that it would not have been if he was selling something more than the book itself. Especially if no aggrieved parties (who I am almost sure knew about the book in advance) were objecting. This is a different situation than when Mason is asked to sell or advertise something that has a decent chance of being a scam. Mason pulls the plug on them even though it costs him a lot more money than not publishing Eli's book would have.

If the book contains significant lies it should not be sold. Even though I am sure that many autobiographies do contain such lies. So if anyone knows of falsehoods tell Mason.
I also think a good case could be made that the book shouldn't be sold if there are in fact numerous victims out there who are appalled or insulted by the book. Thirdly a book written by an out and out criminal shouldn't usually be published (Exception: if it contains both original and very helpful ideas for the reader. If so it doesn't matter if it was written by Ghengis Kahn. How people like Kilowatt and others don't see that is beyond me.) But to think a true and interesting book shouldn't be sold ONLY because hi rollers who actually want the book to be read were mistreated by the author (if in fact that was the case) borders on silliness.

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Uh oh!!!

Mat Sklansky posted, "Quick update. We've been hit with some surprises here and still trying to process information. Mason will certainly have more to say on the subject later today."

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...9&postcount=70

This is getting good!

:popcorn

BTW, Mason started a replacement thread here: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/2...hread-1734290/ .... but of course all the good stuff from the old thread is gone, which I'm sure was the intention.

Shaaaaaaaaady.

Ya i came here to post when he took down at 3:17 am, but in classic fashion the fraud site was also down lol

Do they have precedent for taking down threads at the request of the accused? shady AF

I kinda agree with Sklansky. Who cares if 2+2 publishes a billshit autobiography of a “celebrity” scammer.

I think all the outrage is just a reflection of our online outrage culture, of which there is no shortage of on 2+2, and no one really gives a shit outside of that.

Thread is back up (locked), scammers should always be outed and chided for the scumbags they are. Poker embraces them way too much as it is ...

Does anybody actually belive he's a lifetime winner at the Bellagio?

I've heard conservative estimates he's down 10 million in the last 10 years.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Salty_Aus

Does anybody actually belive he's a lifetime winner at the Bellagio?

I've heard conservative estimates he's down 10 million in the last 10 years.

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I bet he’s a losing player but the endorsements and FT money kept him a float like a lot of people during that time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Drawingdead

I bet he’s a losing player but the endorsements and FT money kept him a float like a lot of people during that time.

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I bet at some point he was a successful business man, but has since has lost most if not all of his wealth gambling. I wouldn't be surprised if he was deep into the red and in real financial trouble right now, and owing $40K to some poker nerd who will never do anything about it is the least of his problems.

Lotsa people already heard the rumors of Eli owing and not paying so when the 2+2 AMA thread came up we were all thinking WTF!? I mean there was a thread dedicated to Eli's debts and financial problems on 2+2 already. Maybe Mason and Matt are going senile? Even a half-tard would have seen this coming.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Drawingdead

I bet he’s a losing player but the endorsements and FT money kept him a float like a lot of people during that time.

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I dont think he could beat the 40-80 LHE @ Bellagio

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chinamaniac

I dont think he could beat the 40-80 LHE @ Bellagio

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I played LHE with him at the $10k WSOP event.

Confirmed he would be a losing player at Bellagio 40-80.

Check this out: https://www.dropbox.com/s/insndpn8sb...02768.pdf?dl=0

In the mid-2000s, John Berry got into a bad car accident with Moshe Elazar, and Berry was badly injured. Berry sued Elazar and won $2.8 million.

Elazar, who was allegedly worth $11 million at the time in a 3-way business partnership with Eli Elezra and another guy, suddenly transferred his entire 33% interest in the business to Elezra and the 2nd partner, thus making himself appear broke and unable to pay the judgment.

These were deemed "fraudulent transfers" by the court. Berry then won a judgment against Elezra and the 2nd business partner.

Shaaaaaaaaaaady.

Abe Mosseri supposedly showed up to 2+2 and posted that Eli owes him almost a million dollars!

Account is not verified so could be a troll. Guess we'll find out soon.

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=464

Druff has great posts on 2 plus 2 mason responds to everyone of his posts like a stuck pig.Private time is a poster who really seemes to know what is going on in high stakes he got banned in that thread lol.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan Druff

Abe Mosseri supposedly showed up to 2+2 and posted that Eli owes him almost a million dollars!

Account is not verified so could be a troll. Guess we'll find out soon.

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=464

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Soon was right. Took less than an hour. Mason says its a fake.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mason Malmuth

Hi Everyone:

We have just confirmed that this was not posted by Abe Mosseri and that this poster is not Abe Mosseri.

Best wishes,
Mason

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A new statement from Eli today:

Quote:

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Hi everybody.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about how to respond to what has happened over this past week and a half, and what the tone of my response should be. Thank you all – especially Mason – for your patience, as I’ve put a lot of time and thought into the following statement:

Poker players – including lots of high stakes players – borrow/lend money from each other all the time. They always have and they always will. The deals and arrangements they make in this regard have always been private and I believe they will always remain private. It’s nobody else’s business anyhow.

Why would I borrow money? When the global financial crisis hit many years ago, it really took a hard toll on my business. I lost a lot of my personal wealth. But I still wanted to play in high stakes games. The “right” thing to do would be to drop down in stakes, but I didn’t want to, so I borrowed to keep playing in the same games. I don’t play for super high stakes anymore. I get plenty of buzz and enjoyment playing for lower stakes.

When a poker player decides to lend another poker player money, they do so with the inherent risk that it might not be paid back. At no time when I borrowed money did I ever make a promise to pay loans back the next day. During the Full Tilt days, money flowed like water and when it came to paying people back it was never an issue.

Almost $2 million is owed to me by poker players to whom I have lent money over the years, but I have never gone public with their names.

I never hide from my debts. To the best of my knowledge, every person to whom I have had an outstanding debt (I can count them on one hand) has been OK with the arrangements I have made with them to pay back. For the record, this includes Shaun Deeb, to whom I still owe some money and with whom I am on great, friendly terms.

For whatever reason, Cole South felt the need to make a public post about a private arrangement, and I already made it clear in my original response that he has a misunderstanding of the facts. He could have contacted me privately or even by private message here on 2+2 if he wanted to. I don’t ignore text messages and haven’t seen him or gotten a message from him in years. I haven’t been hiding anywhere and it’s not hard for anyone who wants to get in touch to find me.

It seems like a lot of the forum posters have tried to make connections between things that are not connected at all. What do public records of court cases (which don’t tell the whole story, by the way) have to do at all with my IDF army days?

Using this platform to try and tear down my reputation affects many people beyond just me. A lot of people worked very hard to make this book happen. If you don’t want to buy my book that’s fine, but leaving 1-star nasty reviews on Amazon based on forum hearsay without actually reading the book is just plain wrong.

I didn’t invest YEARS of my life in this project, first in Hebrew then in English, with a primary goal of making money from the book. Mason chose to share that 2+2 put $20,000 into publishing my book (I didn’t know the amount until I read his post, by the way). He warned me before we signed our contract that this book likely wouldn’t make a lot of money because poker books just don’t sell like they used to “back in the day.” I just wanted my life’s story to be told and I’m glad to have a business partner in Mason who feels the same way. Bashing him is misguided, to say the least.

People make mistakes. I go into great detail in my book about many of the mistakes I have made in my life. I didn’t have to, but I chose to. As a matter of fact, many people who know me and who have bought and read the book have come up to me to express their shock at how open and honest I was, and that I didn’t need to say as much as I did about a lot of episodes in my life. For all of the poker glory I have achieved, I’m human, too. That’s what telling a life story is about; sharing both the ups and the downs.

I apologize to anyone who feels personally offended by the mistakes I have made. I’m not perfect, but that’s no reason to hold my mistakes over my head for the rest of my life. I’m sorry, Mason, that you had to deal with a lot of the fallout from my silence over this past week and a half. Throughout my life I have done my best to learn from the mistakes I’ve made and become a better man.

If anyone out there still wants to believe in baseless allegations against me, or in general be skeptical regarding whether my LIFE’S STORY is true and what my reputation ought to be, that’s up to you. All I can tell you is that anyone who has ever played with me, whether they’re a pro or a recreational player, and whether it has been in a cash game or tournament table, knows how passionately I love the game.

I will continue to participate for another 48 hours here on 2+2 and thereafter it’s time for me to move on. Aside from that, I’m at Aria/Bellagio five days a week and am happy to see any of you and speak with you in person, and of course to sign a copy of the book if you have purchased one.

To address the obvious, yes I had help writing this statement. I’m not a computer whiz and of course I am not a native English speaker.

Finally, and most importantly…. my favorite color is purple.

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LOL at "why would I borrow money?"

BTW I have no idea what this guy's "business" ever was. Minus the business of getting loans and never paying them back

Statement just makes him look worse. It's pretty sad, actually. Hope he finds a way to pay back his debtors.

Cole just posted that Eli talked to him on the phone, had a good conversation, and promised to start paying him.

Of course he did.

Here's what I posted to Cole:

Quote:

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Good luck, Cole, and I hope you get paid.

Unfortunately, there is a very similar situation playing out in the NYPokerKing thread.

The scammer reaches out to the victim on a private phone call, acts very nice and agreeable, and promises payments in pieces.

The first small payment comes, and then the rest never do.

I've seen this occur countless times. It's directly from the Scammer/Deadbeat 101 Playbook. Claim you're going to make good when the heat turns up, make one small good faith payment, perhaps make a second payment, and then vanish.

My guess is that he's trying to scrounge up money to pay you for appearance sake, but if it was that easy, he would have done it weeks ago.

Pretty sure you're going to get one payment soon, and maybe a second one, and then the excuses/ghosting will start again.

On a side note, I had a dream last night about calling and talking to Eli about this situation, so perhaps I should start spending less time in this thread.

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And since Eli offered to answer questions, here's what I asked him:

Quote:

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1) When you borrowed money in the past, did you already have debts to other poker players which hadn't been paid back for over a year? If so, did you disclose this to the people you borrowed from?

2) When people like Cole loaned you money, do you think they believed they would be paid back, or were they "fully aware they may never be paid back"?

3) Did you admit to people you borrowed from that you were struggling financially and needed the loans for that reason? If not, do you think those people had the mistaken impression that you were still a successful businessman?

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that thread is about to get goooood

Yup, after a fake Abe Mosseri showed up a few days ago and was banned, now the real one is there (Mat Sklansky confirmed), and he's going to make a statement shortly "about the sensational substantial amount of money he owes me and possibly about many others".

:popcorn

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=106

Is there anyone from the 'Big Game' glory days who isn't broke by now?

Negreanu? Ivey?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sloppy Joe

Is there anyone from the 'Big Game' glory days who isn't broke by now?

Negreanu? Ivey?

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This is a statement for sure.

Those guys entertained me back then like few things ever have. So what does the fail mean? What does it teach us?

853k lol

Abe Mosseri's statement:

Quote:

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No person has ever staked me in my lifetime and I did not out Eli in 9 years. I have no social media and had no idea Eli had a book or Ame until days ago when I was called by a high ranking casino side of the business. I was shocked and suprised my name was used . He asked me to speak with DS and I have many times in the past few days. I got to tell you I was on the fence about it and not slept well. I decided today to speak out after Eli sent me texts of threats about my family most likely scared I was going to out him. If he had not had made such a stupid and actually a illegal decision to do that you would of never heard from me. Im not sure yet what I can say at this point. I can say this disappointed that Eli pushed me to this point when it could have been really simple. I really do not think Eli is so insane yet to come on here and call me a liar but so be it. Figure is 853k. A loan not a gambling debt.

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https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=155

Wow.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sanlmar

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sloppy Joe

Is there anyone from the 'Big Game' glory days who isn't broke by now?

Negreanu? Ivey?

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This is a statement for sure.

Those guys entertained me back then like few things ever have. So what does the fail mean? What does it teach us?

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It teaches us that what's good about high stakes poker players is also what's bad about high stakes poker players.

Sending threatening texts? Jesus Eli who told you that was a good idea...

Apparently the threatening texts were of the legal variety, where Eli allegedly told Abe that the FBI is investigating him for threatening Eli's family, which Abe denies ever doing.

Details: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=186

Lol, such a laugh. Poor Mason fell off his high horse a little. Full tilt was full of degens who it turns out where not as wealthy as people thought. I thought they had money all were getting 200k a month it seemed.Eric Lundgren was the worst of the worst. Lol at eli claiming people should have known they weren't most likely getting paid or some such bs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sanlmar

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sloppy Joe

Is there anyone from the 'Big Game' glory days who isn't broke by now?

Negreanu? Ivey?

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This is a statement for sure.

Those guys entertained me back then like few things ever have. So what does the fail mean? What does it teach us?

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that without poker welfare from the online websites, those games were kinda fake news (except for the legit billionaire businessmen types...who got rolled by guys like Eli on FTP)

Even Negreanu (who I think is adequately rolled for the game) has advantages because if he ever hits a bad patch, he can just get unlimited stakes from Stars

Quote:

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I thought they had money all were getting 200k a month it seemed.Eric Lundgren was the worst of the worst. Lol at eli claiming people should have known they weren't most likely getting paid or some such bs.

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They were.....in FTP money. FTP money is like an IOU, especially if the site ever went insolvent (which it did).

IOUs....just as good as money!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GSXbgfKFWg

Honestly I would love to start a pool on how much money Eli owes.....it's gotta be in the high single millions considering the stakes he played