Manig Loeser won his first World Series of Poker bracelet Friday night in Event #2 of the 2021 WSOP Online. (WPT photo)

Manig Loeser made his way through a field of 1,038 on Friday night to take down Event #2 ($600 No Limit Hold’em Monster Stack) of the 2021 World Series of Poker Online for $104,313 and the first WSOP bracelet of his career.

Loeser came to the final table with the chip lead and maintained that lead throughout the night despite not eliminating any players until three players were left.

Alexandre ‘alexmdm’ Besse began the final table third in chips, but five minutes later he was on the rail. Blinds were 100,000/200,000 (20,000 ante) and Besse moved all in from UTG+1 for 5,329,969. Action folded around to Jordan ‘ThLstCrdBndr’ Miller on the button and he re-shoved for 5,351,636 getting the blinds to fold. Besse showed JcJh but was given bad news when Miller tabled AcAd. The board ran out 7d3s2hTs5d to eliminate Besse in ninth place.

Another 20 minutes passed before the next elimination. Justin ‘LappyPoker’ Lapka raised to 480,000 from the hijack before Julie ‘i.win.13’ Polatchek shoved from his immediate left for 1,444,810. With action back on him, Lapka called and showed 9s8d while Polatchek had JhTs. The 9h8h5d flop hit both players with Lapka holding two pair against Polatchek’s open-ended straight draw. All of the drama ended early as the 9d turn gave Lapka a full house and as the Js completed the board, Polatchek was out in eighth.

A three-way all in ten minutes resulted in the next elimination. Down to just 6.5 big blinds, Mark ‘Nostradonkus’ Liedtke moved all in for 1,814,147. The only player shorter than him, Craig ‘mrjanovich’ Mason, called all in from the button and Damian ‘martillo1978’ Alonso came along from the big blind. Liedtke showed KhJs, Mason tabled AdJd, and Alonso had two live cards with 8h5h. Each player got a piece of the AcTc8s flop with Mason ahead with top pair. Nothing changed on the 2c turn, but the Qc river filled Liedtke’s gutshot straight draw and eliminated Mason in seventh place.

Lapka was down to less than big blinds and moved all in for 2,659,676  from UTG and Aaron ‘WompDatTHomp’ Thivyanathan re-jammed for 6,324,062 from the cutoff. Lapka turned over QhJd while Thivyanathan was ahead with AsKc. The Ac7d4h flop put Thivyanathan in control and when the 4c hit the turn, Lapka was drawing dead. The 5c river completed the board and ended Lapka’s run in sixth.

Thivyanathan had to wait just three minutes to find his next victim. Thivyanathan called before Miller raised to 3,400,000 from the button. Thivyanathan shoved for 8,897,738 and Miller called off his last 2,943,719. Thivyanathan had Miller dominated with AsKs against AdJs. The board ran out 7c6c3hTh2h to Thivyanathan in front and Miller was sent out in fifth place.

On the very next hand, Alonso moved all in for 1,301,806 and Liedtke decided to call from the big blind. Alonso turned over Jc9h while Liedtke was slightly ahead with Kh2h. The Qs3d3h flop changed nothing and after the 4d turn and 8h river, Alonso was done for the night with a fourth place finish.

Three-handed play carried on for more than 22 minutes before reaching heads up. On the button, Liedtke raised to 800,000, Thivyanathan moved all in from the small blind for 8,485,907, and Loeser re-shoved for 14,256,795. Liedtke released his hand and Thivyanathan showed Ac6c which put him behind Loeser’s 6d6h. Liedtke got some good news after picking up a flush draw on the QcJs8c flop. Neither the 7s turn or the Kd river were any help for Liedtke and he was eliminated in third, sending Loeser to heads up play holding 57.5% of the chips in play.

It took just two hands of heads up play for Loeser to lay claim to all of the chips and the bracelet. On the final hand of the night, Liedtke opened to 900,000. Loeser responded by re-raised to 3,600,000 and then called when Liedtke moved all in for his last 16,077,298. Loeser turned over QcQs and Liedtke was behind with 6d6s. Loeser stayed in control through the AcJh8s7cTc and eliminate Liedtke in second place to win his first career bracelet.

One day after Phil Hellmuth moved to within one cash of Daniel Negreanu for the all-time WSOP lead, Negreanu found a cash of his own. Negreanu finish 92nd for $953 for his 166th career WSOP cash. One year after famously winning a WSOP bracelet from a Whole Foods parking lot, Ryan ‘joeyisamush’ Depaulo found his first cash of the 2021 WSOP Online, earning $841 for coming in 158th. Other players who cashed on Friday included Jim Collopy (143rd – $897), Dan Zack (119th – $897), Upeshka De Silva (37th – $2,130), Chance Kornuth (34th – $2,466), Joe Hebert (33rd – $2,466), Andrew Lichtenberger (28th – $2,466), Jesse Sylvia (22nd – $3,027), Brad Own (17th – $3,699), and Kathy Liebert (12th – $5,885).

2021 WSOP Online Event #2 Final Table Payouts

  1. Manig Loeser – $104,313
  2. Mark Liedtke – $64,460
  3. Aaron Thivyanathan – $45,626
  4. Damian Alonso – $32,734
  5. Jordyn Miller – $23,766
  6. Justin Lapka – $17,488
  7. Craig Mason – $13,060
  8. Julie Polatchek – $9,865
  9. Alexandre Besse – $7,567