H3H3’s Ethan Klein Wins Celebrity Poker Tour Game Night V After Tense Standoff With NELK’s Steiny

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Celebrity Poker Tour celebrated its first birthday on February 6 with Game Night V, living up to its reputation as the greatest show on felt. The final board saw H3H3 Productions leader Ethan Klein face off against NELK member Steiny, with the most dominant start in CPT history ultimately succumbing to the most epic comeback we’ve ever seen. 

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The night was packed with returning stars of the Celebrity Poker Tour. The field of 11 players included UFC legend Jorge Masvidal, YouTuber Tana Mongeau and influencer Bryce Hall, who emerged as champion on CPT Game Night III. Rapper Waka Flocka Flame was the sole debutant at Game Night V, bravely facing a stacked table after learning the rules of Hold ‘em just 20 minutes before the broadcast began.

Players each started with 100,000 starting chip stacks, with one additional 100,000 rebuy permitted. The grand prize was a lofty $10,000.

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CPT fans saw some Klein-on-Klein ferocity take place in the night’s early hands. The queen of H3H3 Productions, Hila Klein, copped a 4-2 of diamonds in the pocket, while Ethan showed 5-3 off suit. As the flop hit the felt, Ethan landed an immediate full house and bet 94,000 in chips. Hila, chasing a straight, called and lost her first full stack. 

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Despite a lack of traditional experience, Waka Flocka Flame saw early success at Game Night V by bluffing like a pro. The rapper showed zero weakness as he stoically threw 10,000 and 15,000 raises into the pot, forcing folds from Steiny and two-time MLB World Series champ Shane Victorino. Waka Flocka’s ice cold confidence even got Victorino to throw away queens over nines when the rapper had a handful of absolute air. 

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Steiny soon took a commanding lead that he’d hold until the final hands of Game Night V. The NELK Boy collected over 300,000 in chips after pulling a four-to-eight straight off the flop. Masvidal, Mongeau and Waka Flocka all thought they had fire in their pockets with pairs of sixes, kings and sevens, respectively, but they were already cooked. The hand saw Masvidal’s elimination, giving him the sour taste of 11th place. Somewhere, Ben Askren was smiling. 

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Players began dropping like flies as UFC strawweight Mackenzie Dern and YouTuber Frazier Kay stepped in as the night’s alternates. Waka Flocka took out Bryce Hall after landing a lucky ace on the flop, and Ethan Klein sent Mongeau home by countering her pocket queens with a pair of bullets.

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Here’s where the night got personal… With a massive chip stack, Steiny set his sights on the Kleins. With a five in the pocket, Hila went all in as she pulled a straight with 7-9-8-6-3 on the board, but the threadsnake Steiny had a hidden ten in his hand, securing the high straight and eliminating Hila. 

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“You’re such a scumbag,” Ethan reacted. “With a 10-5?! It’s just so stupid.” 

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“I’ll take ‘em out one by one,” Steiny said as he stacked over 1,000,000 in chips. 

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Ethan instantly became hellbent on crushing the dreams of Steiny, who seemed to have an almost mythical power over the board. During a standoff between Dern and Kay, the UFC fighter had a 91 percent chance of victory with ace-king in the pocket and 8-A-Q-3 on the board. With jack-nine in his hand, Kay’s only chance of winning was hitting a ten on the river. Of course, as Steiny called aloud for the ten, the card appeared, sending Dern home with a sixth place finish.

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Ethan and Steiny would outlast Kay as they secured identical full houses on the river, beating Kay’s flush and sending him packing in what may have been the worst beat of the night. Victorino would strike out the very next hand thanks to pocket queens from Steiny, giving CPT Game Night V a final battle of mortal enemies.

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“H3 fans, I love you guys. Sorry I have to do this to your leader,” Steiny said with confidence, having stacked twice as many chips as Ethan. But what would come was death by a thousand cuts. Ethan began winning hand after hand, draining Steiny’s stack as the NELK Boy began to unravel live on stream.

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Steiny tried every skeptic’s trick to turn the tide. He called for emotional support from Tana Mongeau – she denied him. The NELK member even requested a dealer change – he was denied again. Celebrity Poker Tour CEO Blake Wynn eventually sat beside Steiny for emotional support, but even CPT’s captain couldn’t right Steiny’s ship. 

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Ethan made a massive hero call and took a million-dollar lead, continuing to bully Steiny like it was lunch time in middle school. Desperate to gain his chips back, Steiny went all-in with ace-queen in the pocket, but Ethan called and mercilessly flipped ace-king and won his first CPT title. 

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Thanks to the most masterful and satisfying comeback the Celebrity Poker Tour has ever seen, the night’s $10,000 prize went home to the H3 family. Ethan Klein may have taken home the belt at Game Night V, but something tells us this rivalry between influencers isn’t over yet. 

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Don’t miss Game Night VI of the Celebrity Poker Tour on April 25, when stars will collide once again for an epic battle. You can stream the event live on Youtube, X, Facebook, Twitch, DirecTV, PlutoTV, Fubo, Tubi, Freevee, Sling, and Plex. Find more information on CPT’s Instagram @celebritypokertour and cptnews.com.

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