Online Poker Spotlight: Elie "What is 7x6" Doft

Pokernews: Hello Elie, Mr. 7x6! Congratulations on your SCOOP win in the 8 Game. How are you feeling after this big win?

Elie: I’m feeling pretty good; it’s been a pretty successful SCOOP series for me to say the least. I just wish I had time to play more events!

PN: First off, tell me how you got the name 7x6 or what is it from?

Elie: It’s a quote from "the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy", or more accurately, a misquote. The real quote is what is 6 multiplied by 7, so I incorrectly paraphrased. 42 is the answer to life, the universe and everything. What is 7x6 is one of the guesses as to what the question is.

PN: I haven’t seen the movie, I will check it out. You are very well known on PS as a mixed cash games player. Do you feel the HORSE and 8 Game is the future of online poker, or do you feel that PLO is going to be it, which it seems like everyone is getting the crave?

Elie: PLO is a great game. The problem I see is that poor play gets exploited very quickly at PLO. Weak players will lose their money faster than at HORSE or 8 Game. I am not sure I would look to any one game as the future of poker. HORSE and 8 Game carry a prestige about them since you have to be proficient at many forms of poker to be successful, but that’s more in a tournament setting. In cash games, it’s never going to be huge since people will focus on their best game to make money. That being said, at the higher levels there is a lot of ego involved at destroying a high HORSE or 8 Game table.

PN: It seems like 8 Game has been running like crazy on PokerStars. I know there are several top notch players such as Doyle, Negreanu, Boosted J, Greenstein, etc... Whom do you feel is the toughest person in that game?

Elie: I haven’t played in the huge 400-800 8 game on stars. As for HORSE, Greenstein gave me a lot of trouble at the 200-400 game. I am not sure I could single anyone out as the toughest. For the most part, it's just a really hard game. The only reason to ever play is when a fish sits in or to prove you can beat a really hard game.

PN: Sorry, I thought u had played in that game before.

Elie: Don't be, I do want to play that game! I've just been trying to improve my game selection, and risking significant portions of my bankroll against players where I have no discernible edge is something I try not to do anymore..............as much. At the end of the day, it’s about winning money, NOT EGO!

PN: I like your thought process! Do you have any live events that you are planning on playing soon?

Elie: Yes, I am planning on playing the 10k O8 event at the WSOP. It's not 100% that I can, but so far it looks promising. I haven’t been out to the WSOP since 2006

PN: I know you're a busy man and have a family, but how do you make time for poker, family, and having a regular job?

Elie: I don’t sleep much!! Seriously, family comes first. That’s why people don’t see me on during the day or early evening very often. I don’t play until after I get my boys to bed, and spend some time with my wife. Of course, some of that time spent is in front of the TV where I have my computer too, but at the end of the day, poker is going to come second.

PN: That’s definitely good to hear. I think you need to take the family on a nice vacation after that big SCOOP win, you owe the wife.

Elie: Definitely! She is never thrilled about me playing big tournaments because they take up so much time, so I will always have to make it up to her in some way. Winning makes that transition far smoother.

PN: Yes indeed it does my good friend. Onto the H2H questions!

Elie: Fire away Ryan!

PN: When you are not playing poker, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Elie: My interests are as varied as they are incredibly nerdy. I love to play Chess and Bridge, but don’t actually get to do that much these days. I love to read and watch sci fi, and can actually still find time to do that. And in my pre-kid days I used to play and teach tennis.

PN: I played tennis for the University of Kentucky, and some pros. Want to play for $10K at the WSOP?

Elie: Wow, nice! I am probably slightly out of my league. I lost the walk-on tournament to make my college team to the winner, and we were division 1A I believe.

PN: Haha ok. What sci fi shows do you watch?

Elie: All the star treks obviously. Babylon 5 when it was on, but more currently Battlestar Galactica which was probably the best of them all. I also watched a fun series called the Dresden Files that was on for one year on sci fi. After it was cancelled I went out and started reading the series, which has quickly become one of my all time favorite series. I just finished book 11 which came out on Tuesday. I was done by 5am Thursday morning.
Oh, and if I haven’t given you enough embarrassing material on me already, I can also solve a rubix cube in under 2 minutes.

PN: Good god, that’s pretty sick!

Elie: One of the more useless talents I have.

PN: What’s the most expensive toy you have bought yourself in the last year?

Elie: This is going to be a boring answer. I would have to say an IPhone. I spend most of my money on my kids. There are more toys here than you can believe, and I am definitely guilty of spoiling them a little too much.

PN: What toys do you get them, Wii?

Elie: They are too young for that right now, and I know eventually they will be really into video games, so i am going to delay that as long as I can. I would like to get a Wii, but just not really sure when I could ever play. Legos, playmobiles, random trucks, and airplanes is what we have around here.

PN: What online poker player do you look up most to and why?

Elie: Hmmm, that is a tough question. There are a group of players whom I talk to often in order to learn more and improve my game. The Omaholic, Jakz101, Tommyboy83, and Get Crunk. They are all great players with different strengths that have helped me tremendously as I try to improve my game. There are many others, as well. If you stop trying to learn and improve at poker, pretty soon you start losing.

PN: Those are some very talented players. Give us five words that describe yourself.

Elie:

PN: The final question... Megan Fox, Jessica Alba, or Scarlett Johansson?(wifey doesn't count)

Elie:

PN: She seems to be everyone’s favorite. Elie, thanks for doing the interview, congrats again on the SCOOP win, and we wish you the best of luck at the WSOP!

Elie: Thank you Ryan, it was a pleasure!