Cash game-specialist Jesse Klein took down the first open event at the 2021 World Series of Poker with a victory in Event #2 $25,000 HORSE for $552,182after he outlasted a field of 78 runners and survived a tough final table that included Phil Hellmuth, Benny Glasser, David Benyamine, Ben Yu, and Matt Glantz. Hellmuth was denied bracelet #16 when he busted in sixth place.
Cards went into the air for the 2021 World Series of Poker, which marked the return of live poker under the WSOP banner at the Rio Casino in Las Vegas for the first time since the summer of 2019. The WSOP crowned three bracelet winners including the Employees Event, a COVID Charity event, and the first-major high balla event with the $25K HORSE.
But of course, the big news in the first weekend of action at the WSOP is that Phil Hellmuth made another final table but whiffed in his efforts to snatch bracelet #16. The Poker Brat is stuck on 15 for now after he fell short of his goal.
2021 WSOP Event #2 $25,000 HORSE attracted 78 total entrants and a prize pool worth $1.8 million. Only the top 12 places paid out with most of the cheesecake set aside to the champion.
Daniel Negreanu missed the $25K HORSE final table when he busted in ninth place. Also cashing were Roland Israelashvili and Cary Katz.
The $25K HORSE final nine included Jesse Klein, Benny Glaser, David Benyamine, Chad Eveslage, Philip Sternheimer, Phil Hellmuth, Ben Yu, DJ Buckley, and Matt Glantz.
Glantz hit the road in ninth place. DJ Buckley bowed out in eight place, followed by three-time bracelet winner Ben Yu in seventh place.
Phil Hellmuth was in the search for bracelet #16 and his first mixed game bling. Alas, Hellmuth's run ended in sixth place. Chad Eveslage took out Hellmuth during a round of Seven Card Stud. The Poker brat banked $95K for his deep run, but you know he really wanted the bling more than the cashola.
Philip Sternheimer hit the bricks in fifth place, followed by Chad Eveslage in fourth place.
French pro David Benyamine also had another deep run but his epic comeback and search for a second career bracelet ended in third when Klein took him out. Alas, Benyamine banked nearly $237K.
With Benyamine out, that left a battle between USA and the UK for the $25K HORSE title. Klein held nearly a 10-to-1 lead over Benny Glasser, who was seeking a fourth career-bracelet.
Glasser could not pull off a remarkable comeback and settled on a runner-up finish. Second place paid out $341K. Not too shabby, eh?
Klein won his first bracelet for $552,182 and notched only his second cash at the WSOP since 2008. He primarily plays high stakes mixed cash games in the Philly area and Atlantic City, so it seems like he came out of nowhere to win the first open bracelet at the 2021 WSOP.
The return of the WSOP included a first-time bracelet victory for Las Vegas local Jimmy Barnett, who is a dealer at Caesars Palace. Barnett was the last player standing in WSOP Event #: $500 Casino Employees. Barnett banked $39,013 for besting a field of 419 fellow casino workers.
Jeremy Ausmus won his second bracelet and banked $48,681 for winning the $1,000 buy-in WSOP Event #3 Covid-19 Relief NL Charity Event. The prize pool was $231,400 and 39 players cashed. The final nine included Ausmus, Jesse Lonis, Mitchell Halverson, Asher Conniff, Steve Gross, Liran Betito, Craig Mason, Evgeni Tourevski, and John Yocca.
Notables who went deep in Event #3 included Shannon Shorr, Justin Liberto, Brock Wilson, Dan Zack, Tyler Cornell, Brett Apter, Dan Jones, Ren Lin, Pete Chen, Ian Steinman, Daniel Dangoor, and Kevin Wang.
2021 WSOP Event #2 $25,000 HORSE
Buy-in: $25,000
Entrants: 78
Prize Pool: $1,842,750
Payouts: 12
Final Table Standings:
1. Jesse Klein (USA) $552,182
2. Benny Glaser(UK) $341,274
3. David Benyamine (France) $236,626
4. Chad Eveslage (USA) $169,218
5. Philip Sternheimer (UK) $124,935
6. Phil Hellmuth (USA) $95,329
7. Ben Yu (USA) $75,260
8. DJ Buckley (USA) $61,549
9. Matt Glantz (USA) $52,211