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Florida Life
Poker Playing Executives
 Kaizad "Kaiser" Hansotia |
Smokin'
Kaizad "Kaiser" Hansotia
K. Hansotia & Co. / CEO
Miami
Kaizad Hansotia likes to say that nothing goes quite so well with a game of poker as a quality cigar. But Hansotia, an avid poker player, may be protecting his own interests. Ten years ago while on a family vacation in Goa, India, he purchased — for a mere $149 — the rights to the Gurkha cigar brand, a remnant left over from the days of British colonial rule. Since then, he's turned the company into one of the top-rated cigar brands. The company is headquartered in Miami, but the cigars are made in Honduras, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. Hansotia manages quality control himself, smoking 10 to 20 cigars a day to check the quality of the tobacco.
He plays poker once a month with a group of friends. "I always end up bringing the cigars," he says. A cigar helps him bluff, he claims. "You can really disconnect the person. If you keep on smoking, the other players think they have your tell."
Does the ploy work for Hansotia? "I rate myself as a very good poker player," he says, but adds with a laugh, "unfortunately I lose all the time."
 Gil Dezer |
Winning Hand
Gil Dezer
Dezer Properties / President
Sunny Isles Beach
Ask Gil Dezer about the best hand he's ever played in poker, and he'll tell you, "You usually remember the ones you lose." In the same breath, he mentions that he wins more than he loses. Dezer, a south Florida developer, and his father, Michael Dezer, are credited with the rebirth of Sunny Isles. He started playing poker in high school and nowadays plays once a week with friends and business associates.
In June, he flew to Las Vegas to try his luck in a
World Series of Poker Tournament, which had a $1,500 buy-in.
What is it about poker that draws Dezer? "It's a good release. You're focused on the task at hand. You don't have to think about other things."
Oh, and on that best hand — playing Texas Hold 'Em, Dezer was dealt a jack/queen, and the flop came back queen/queen/jack, giving him a full house.
Dezer's Game
- Biggest loss: $10,000
- Biggest win: $10,000
- The Bluff: "Bluffing for bluffing's sake I don't do. I'm a solid player. I don't take too many chances."
