Kevin Gerhart Wins His Third World Series of Poker BraceletThe Las Vegas-Based Poker Pro Topped 149 Entries In The $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship To Earn $361,124 |
|
Kevin Gerhart has won a World Series of Poker gold bracelet each year since first breaking through in 2019. He took down the $1,500 razz event that summer, and then backed that up with title run in the 2020 WSOP Online $500 pot-limit Omaha six-max event. He completed the hat trick with his largest and most prestigious victory yet, overcoming a field of 149 entries to emerge victorious in the 2021 WSOP $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. championship. Gerhart was awarded $361,124 in prize money along with his third career gold bracelet in front of a crowd of supporters on the rail at the main featured table.
“It’s so awesome just having 30 people here all cheering me on at the same time,” Gerhart told PokerGO after coming out on top. “When the last hand was dealt, just the eruptions from everyone. I can’t describe it. Every bracelet has gotten better.”
The win increased Gerhart’s lifetime live tournament earnings to more than $1 million. In addition to the title and the money, Gerhart was also awarded 720 Card Player Player of the Year points as the champion of this event. This was his third POY-qualified score of the year. He currently sits just outside the top 300 in the 2021 POY race, which is sponsored by Global Poker. Gerhart also locked up 361 PokerGO Tour points to climb into 63rd place on that leaderboard.
The fourth and final day of this event began with five players remaining and Gerhart in the lead. Two-time bracelet winner Brandon Shack-Harris was the first to fall. All of his chips went in on fifth street playing razz, with his (A-9)7-J-A facing the (9-4)7-Q-10 of Gerhart. Gerhart made a 10-9-8-7-4 by seventh street, besting Shack-Harris’ J-10-9-7-A to send him home in fifth place $82,033).
Bryce Yockey’s run in this event also came to an end during a round of razz. The bracelet winner got the last of his chip in on third street with (5-4)6 and was up against the (7-2)4 of Eddie Blumenthal and the (6-A)8 of Gerhart. Blumenthal made a 7-6 low by sixth street, at which point Gerhart bowed out. Yockey was drawing dead with his 9-8 low and was eliminated in fourth place, earning $111,701 for his fourth-place showing.
Gerhart took a sizable chip lead into three-handed play with two-time bracelet winner Marco Johnson and Blumenthal. The final three battled it out for more than hour before the next knockout took place. In limit hold’em, Blumenthal raised from the button with A8. Johnson called from the small blind with KQ and Gerhart also came along from the big blind holding K3. The Q93 flop saw Johnson check his top pair. Gerhart bet bottom pair and Blumenthal, who had ost of his short stack committed already, called all-in with his ace-high. Johnson and Gerhart checked through the Q and 2 river. Johnson showed his trip queens to take down the pot, while Blumenthal hit the rail with $155,971.
Heads-up play began with Gerhart holding 5.8 million to Johnson’s 3.2 million. Johnson mounted several pushes toward evening up the counts, but Gerhart was always able to re-establish an advantage after each surge from his opponent. A key limit hold’em pot won with two pair saw Gerhart take roughly a 15:1 lead. Roughly ten minutes later Johnson was all-in with AKJ10 preflop playing Omaha eight-or-better. Gerhart called with 9643 and flopped a full house with 994 rolling off the deck. The 4 turn and 9 river improved Gerhart to quad nines to scoop the pot and the title. Johnson earned $223,194 as the runner-up.
Here is a look at the payouts and rankings points awarded at the final table:
Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points | PokerGO |
1 | Kevin Gerhart | $361,124 | 720 | 361 |
2 | Marco Johnson | $223,193 | 600 | 223 |
3 | Eddie Blumenthal | $155,971 | 480 | 156 |
4 | Bryce Yockey | $111,701 | 360 | 112 |
5 | Brandon Shack-Harris | $82,033 | 300 | 82 |
6 | Christopher Vitch | $61,819 | 240 | 62 |
7 | Jake Schwartz | $47,835 | 180 | 48 |
8 | David Benyamine | $38,085 | 120 | 38 |
Winner photo credit: WSOP / Hayley Hochstetler.