2021 WSOP Day 2: Hellmuth In The Hunt For 16th Bracelet

Matthew Pitt Senior Editor

Oct 02, 2021 4 min read Last updated Oct 08, 2021

Day 2 of the 2021 World Series of Poker was packed with action from start to finish. Two players got their hands on coveted gold WSOP bracelets, while 15-time WSOP champion Phil Hellmuth punched his Day 3 tickets in the star-studded $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. event.

Caesars Palace dealer Jimmy Barnett became a WSOP champion for the first time when he was the last man standing in Event #1: $500 Casino Employees event. Barnett, originally from California but now living in Nevada, banked $39,013.

Jeremy Ausmus won his second bracelet and $48,681 in Event #3: $1,000 COVID-19 Charity Relief Event. Ausmus outlasted 265 opponents on his way to glory.

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Hellmuth Reaches $25,000 H.O.R.S.E Final Table; Glaser Leads the Way

The $25,000 H.O.R.S.E event is down to only nine players and what an incredible group they are. Big hands came thick and fast on Day 2 of this high-stakes event, including the final hand of the evening.

British mixed game specialist, and three-time WSOP champion, Benny Glaser busted Roland Israelashvili and Daniel Negreanu on the last hand of the night. Irsaelashvili bowed out in 11th, Negreanu tenth, while Glaser soared into the chip lead with 2,590,000 chips.

All eyes will be on Phil Hellmuth when the nine-handed final table commences at 2:00 p.m. PST on October 2 because the self-proclaimed "Poker Brat" has a legitimate chance of winning his 16th WSOP bracelet.

Hellmuth nor Glaser will have matters their own way because each of their opponents has reached this final table on merit. Jesse Klein (1,800,000), David Benyamine (1,680,000), Philip Sternheimer (865,00), Day 1 chip leader Chad Eveslage (860,000), Ben Yu (830,000), Matt Glantz (410,000), and DJ Buckley (160,000) will all fancy their chances of WSOP glory.

$25,000 H.O.R.S.E. Final Table Chip Counts

Place	Player	Chips
1	Benny Glaser	2,590,000
2	Jesse Klein	1,800,000
3	David Benyamine	1,680,000
4	Phil Hellmuth	1,640,000
5	Philip Sternheimer	865,000
6	Chad Eveslage	860,000
7	Ben Yu	830,000
8	Matt Glantz	410,000
9	DJ Buckley	160,000

Tune into the $25K HORSE Final Table Right Here

Alfa Bags Reunion Day 1A Chip Lead

The eagerly anticipated Event #4: $500 The Reunion No-Limit Hold’em drew in a field of 2,649 entries on the first of three starting flights, which helps push the prize pool towards the $5 million guarantee the WSOP placed on it.

Only 129 players made it through to Day 2 at the first attempt, and nobody bagged up more chips than David Alfa. The man from Austin, Texas, finished the opening flight with a tournament-leading stack of 3,070,000 chips, which has done his chances of winning a bracelet no harm at all.

Alfa has two WSOP Circuit rings on his poker resume, but a bracelet eludes him. Perhaps that will change over the next couple of days.

The Reunion End of Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts

Place	Player	Chips
1	Dave Alfa	3,070,000
2	Danny Martinez	3,030,000
3	Kostantinos Gennaios	2,650,000
4	Ryan Leng	2,500,000
5	Paul Herberger	2,380,000
6	Joey Weissman	2,275,000
7	Massimo Costantini	2,270,000
8	Walter Atwood	2,205,000
9	Alex Greenslatt	2,175,000
10	Adrian Curry	2,70,000

Three players who already have bracelets safely navigated their way to Day 2. Two-time WSOP champion Ryan Leng (2,500,000), Joey Weissman (2,275,000), and Ryan Laplante (2,100,000) all progressed with sizeable stacks.

Day 1B commences at 10:00 a.m. PST on October 2, and PokerNews’ Live Reporting team will be with you every step of the way.

$500 The Reunion No-Limit Hold'em updates are here

Stephen Leads the Way in the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo Event

Day 1 of Event #5: $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo 8 or Better has reached its conclusion after 15 levels of play. The event drew 607 entries and only 230 of those starters progressed to Day 2.

Christopher Stephen leads the pack courtesy of accumulating 206,500 chips before the curtain came down on proceedings. Two-time WSOP champion Dan Heimiller (177,000) is hot on Stephen’s heels while Robert Mizrachi, a man with four gold bracelets, returns to the fray with 173,500 chips. Mizrachi ran golden during Day 1, scooping three pots with quads, according to his tablemates.

Day 2 commences at 2:00 p.m. on October 2. The plan is to complete another 11 levels or until only five players remain, whichever comes first.

$1,500 Omaha Hi-Low Top 10 Chip Counts

Place	Player	Chips
1	Christopher Stephen	206,500
2	Joe Dean	198,500
3	John Goyette	179,000
4	Dan Heimiller	177,000
5	Robert Mizrachi	173,500
6	Noel Edwards	173,000
7	Connor Drinan	164,000
8	JJ Liu	160,500
9	Jake Schwartz	158,500
10	Hernan Salazar	154,500

Can Stephen Hold Onto His Chip Lead in the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo?

What’s In Store For Day 3 of the 2021 WSOP?

October 2 is Day 3 of the 2021 World Series of Poker, and what an incredible day of poker it should be. The day kicks off with the second of three $500 Reunion flights. The first flight drew in more than 2,600 players, so Day 1b should be even busier with it taking place on a weekend.

Two events crown their champions: the $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. and the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo. Both those events shuffle up and deal at 2:00 p.m. PT, and PokerNews will be on the ground to give you a blow-by-blow account of what is going on.

An hour after those two tournaments begin, the $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed kicks off. We are expecting to see some of the world’s elite players head to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino for this high-stakes affair.

Time (PT)	Event
10:00 a.m.	Event #4: $500 The Reunion Flight B
2:00 p.m.	Event #2: $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. Day 3
2:00 p.m.	Event #5: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo Day 2
3:00 p.m.	Event #6: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed