The third week of March was quite profitable for PocketFives.com member Darren darreneliasElias (pictured). He powered through the fields of the PokerStars $100 Rebuyand Full Tilt Poker $1 Million Guarantee that week for nearly $200,000 total following a pair of second place finishes. He’s up to over $2 million in tracked cashes and sat down with PocketFives.com to recap his big seven-day period.

There are multiple versions of the PokerStars $100 Rebuy and Elias’ second place score occurred on Sunday, March 27th. He explained, “The Sunday version has a different feel than the weekly one. You get guys who don’t usually play the $100 Rebuy entering on Sunday. The field is so big and it’s a great tournament. You get a lot of European players and a lot of guys who shouldn’t be playing.” The prize pool topped out at nearly $450,000.

Seven days prior to his PokerStars splash, Elias took second in the Full Tilt $1 Million Guarantee for $135,000. “I’ve been focusing more on live play this year,” Elias reasoned. “I’ve been traveling the circuit and feel great about my live game. Maybe that’s translating online. It helps getting lucky down the stretch too.”

Last September, anyone who didn’t know who Elias was quickly recognized his 11-letter screen name after he final tabled the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker Main Event for $396,000. On his groundbreaking score, Elias told us, “It’s the biggest cash I’ve had. I won an FTOPS event a couple of years ago for a lot less and that felt better emotionally. It feels great to close out a tournament and see your name on top of the lobby. Whenever you get sixth or something, you’re always going to wonder.”

Elias has been a staple of our forum ever since year one. He admitted he’s not a prolific multi-tabler: “On Sundays, I probably play eight or 10 tables at a time. I really read into the table dynamics and and often take extra time to ensure I’m making the right move. I’ll spend all of my time on one table thinking about a decision and then will time out on the other tables, so I can’t play 20 or 25 games like some of these kids.”

At the end of February, Elias turned in a second place finish in the L.A. Poker Classic’s $25,000 High Roller Event, ultimately falling to Full Tilt Poker’s Erik Seidel (pictured). Elias walked with $154,000 and remembered, “It wasn’t as big of a turnout as people were expecting, but it was still a good event. Erik is a great player. You have to be playing good and running good to put up results like his this year.”

Now, we might see Elias pony up a six-figure buy-in or two on the Full Tilt Poker-backed Onyx Cup, which gets underway next month in Las Vegas. “It’s obviously not the best value tournament, but it’s more about the prestige and the respect,” Elias conceded. “The game can be much more satisfying playing against those types of players and it takes you down different avenues of thought.”

Given his expanded live poker schedule, could we see Elias make a run at a Player of the Year title? He responded, “If I break through and win an event and I’m in the hunt, then I’d make a push for it. Right now, I feel like I’m on the outside looking in and it’s not up there on my priorities.” He cashed three times at last year’s World Series of Poker for nearly $70,000.

One of the top players in the game wanted to recognize siola, timtebowluvr, and Michael benvo123 Benvenuti. We’d like to congratulate Elias on his rock solid start to 2011.