Event #2: H.O.R.S.E.

It's not often an unknown player ventures to Las Vegas, enters a five-figure buy-in mixed-game tournament against the world's best players, and comes out on top to win more than half a million dollars. But that's exactly what happened in just the second event of the 2021 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Event #2: $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. attracted 78 runners and offered up a $1,842,750 prize pool, including a $552,182 top prize. After three days of play, 44-year-old Jesse Klein emerged victorious over a stacked final table – one representing a combined 22 gold bracelets – to etch his name in poker history.

Klein, who hails from the Philadelphia area, flew out on Thursday with the sole intention of playing the first big buy-in tournament of the series. The owner of a recruiting business, the father of two hasn't cashed a tournament since 2010 due to one reason, he prefers to play high-stakes mixed cash games.

Despite not having played a lot lately due to the pandemic, the allure of the $25K H.O.R.S.E. was too much to resist.

"I just came out here to play this event and go home Sunday," said Klein, who according to The Hendon Mob had just $23,100 in lifetime earnings before the win. "I have a wife and two kids – a six-year-old girl and a three-year-old son. I came out here to play this event and that's it. Maybe I'll come back out here since I won this."

2021 WSOP Event #2: $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. Final Table Results

Klein continued: "I'm feeling great. It was a lot of fun. The players were awesome, it was an awesome structure. I'm feeling good. I play poker to win, but I don't play poker professionally. The H.O.R.S.E. event is what I wanted to play. I love all the different games. It's just fun."

Not only did Klein check off "winning a WSOP gold bracelet" off his bucket list, but he also checked off "Tilting the Poker Brat."

"That was great, that was phenomenal. I've never played with him before," Klein said in regards to Phil Hellmuth, who was seeking his record-extending 16th bracelet. "In a Razz hand he limped and I completed. I made a nine and I think he made a ten, he just went off and I loved it. It made me laugh, all that kind of stuff cracks me up. It's part of the entertainment I guess."

Hellmuth wasn't the only bracelet winner Klein contended with on his way to claiming his own. He also outlasted three-time winners Ben Yu and Benny Glaser, as well as bracelet winner and World Poker Tour (WPT) champ David Benyamine.

"I'm not intimidated ever playing poker," Klein said confidently. "When you're comfortable playing different games you just play your game. You try not to get too high or too low, just stay steady."

After the final hand, Klein called his wife, who shed some tears of joy.

"I've got a gold bracelet. I'm fired up. I love playing poker," Klein said with a smile. "This event was about as competitive as can be. A perfect little couple of days."

The Road to Victory for Klein

Klein entered the final table second in chips trailing only Glaser and was always near the top of the leaderboard except for a brief spell during which he dropped into the middle of the pack. The momentum started to shift towards Klein when he won a Razz pot against Hellmuth, who needed a while to calm down again.

By then, the field was already down to the final six players with the departures of Matt Glantz, DJ Buckley, and Yu. Hellmuth never recovered from the fatal blow to his stack and bowed out in sixth place. Right after, Philip Sternheimer became the next casualty in a seven-card Stud hand and Chad Eveslage followed shortly thereafter as Glaser notched up his second knockout in a row.

Three-handed play saw Glaser move into a solid lead but the tides turned in favor of Klein when he claimed back-to-back Razz pots against the Brit. From there on, Klein pulled further ahead and as the limits moved up, both Benyamine and Glaser succumbed to their short stacks.

Congratulations to Jesse Klein, winner of the 2021 WSOP Event #2: $25,000 H.O.R.S.E.!

Check out our 2021 WSOP Hub here!

Razz

Benny Glaser:    /      /  
Jesse Klein:    /      /  

Benny Glaser completed twice to chip up and then made it three completions with Jesse Klein calling the third. Glaser bet his ace-six on fourth to earn a call and Klein then bet all further streets. Glaser was deep in the tank after the final bet on seventh.

"You were supposed to check," the Brit said and then followed it up with more table chat. "You paired your eight?" Glaser inquired. No answer came and Glaser then tank-called. Klein had paired the eight but won it anyways with the     for a nine-eight.

Jesse Klein	10,920,000	750,000
Benny Glaser	775,000	-750,000

The two remaining players agreed to a short 12-minute break and as many minutes are still to be played in the current level.

Jesse Klein	10,170,000	0
Benny Glaser	1,525,000	0

Omaha Hi-Lo

On a flop of    , Benny Glaser check-called a bet by Jesse Klein and did so again on the   turn. The   river was checked and Klein announced jacks up, revealing the     . Glaser mucked and Klein scooped the pot.

David Benyamine then lost two bets to Klein when he could not beat the      of his opponent on a       board as he fell behind Glaser in the counts. Both short stacks have very few big bets at their disposal.

Jesse Klein	8,400,000	600,000
Benny Glaser	1,600,000	-700,000
David Benyamine	1,150,000	-500,000

Limit Hold'em

David Benyamine raised from the small blind for Benny Glaser to call. The     flop was bet by Benyamine and Glaser called with just two and a half bets behind. They headed to the   turn on which Benyamine check-folded to a bet.

One hand later, Benyamine and Glaser chopped when both made third pair on a       runout.

David Benyamine	3,050,000	-450,000
Benny Glaser	1,700,000	475,000

Stud Hi-Lo

Jesse Klein:    /      /  
David Benyamine:    /      /  
Benny Glaser:    /     fold

Jesse Klein bet fourth street and Benny Glaser joined David Benyamine for the call. Benyamine's ace took over the action on fifth and he bet. Glaser folded and Klein called.

Benyamine bet sixth street and Klein called. Both players checked the last down card and Benyamine turned over    . The aces on the table were good enough to beat Klein's mucked hand and Benyamine took the pot.

Jesse Klein	5,100,000	-1,250,000
David Benyamine	4,550,000	1,125,000

Seven Card Stud

Jesse Klein:    /     fold
David Benyamine:    /    

Jesse Klein was the bring in and defended against the completion of David Benyamine. Both players checked fourth. Benyamine then bet fifth with an ace-nine high showing and Klein folded.

Jesse Klein	6,200,000	-445,000
David Benyamine	3,425,000	325,000

Seven Card Stud

Benny Glaser:    /      /  
Jesse Klein:    /      /  

Just before blinds went up, Benny Glaser completed and Jesse Klein raised. Glaser called.

Glaser called bets from Klein on fourth and fifth street before raising a bet on sixth. Klein called the raise to see the final down card. Klein checked and Glaser bet. Klein called and turned over     for three queens. Glaser turned over    but the three jacks were no good and Klein took the pot.

Jesse Klein	6,645,000	1,620,000
Benny Glaser	1,435,000	-1,965,000

Omaha Hi-Lo

Benny Glaser raised the button and was called by David Benyamine in the big blind. The     flop was checked by Benyamine and he then called a bet by Glaser. On the   turn both checked and Benyamine bet the   river. Glaser folded and Benyamine won the pot uncontested.

Benny Glaser	3,300,000	-200,000
David Benyamine	3,100,000	200,000