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The curse has been lifted. The proverbial monkey has been taken off his back. And Shaun Deeb’s relentless pursuit of the all-time World Series of Poker bracelet record took a big step forward today at the final table of Event #74: $1,500 8-Game Mix.
Deeb, after three runner-up finishes so far this year, finally captured bracelet No. 9 by defeating Dean Joe in a lengthy, swingy heads-up match to equal the mark reached first by Benny Glaser and Michael Mizrachi earlier this series and become just the ninth player in WSOP history to get there. It was also Deeb’s second win in this same tournament after he won it in 2023.
The victory puts Deeb firmly on path to his eventual goal: surpassing Phil Hellmuth’s record of 17 bracelets. “I’m going to pass Phil. I’ve been saying that for years. I could have been a lot closer. I could have been a lot further ahead of some other guys with nine or eight or seven, but, you know, I show up every day, play every event, play every buy-in, and sometimes you win,” Deeb said after conquering the 766-player field to take home the $181,625 top prize.
Event #74: $1,500 8-Game Mix Final Table results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shaun Deeb | United States | $181,625 |
| 2 | Dean Joe | United States | $120,570 |
| 3 | Fu Wong | United States | $81,530 |
| 4 | Blaz Zerjav | Slovenia | $56,230 |
| 5 | Itsuko Yoroi | Japan | $39,570 |
| 6 | Patrick Mahoney | United States | $28,420 |
Deeb’s last bracelet came just a year ago, but for a while, it seemed like No. 9 was a cursed number. He even had a hex put on him by pro wrestler Danhausen, courtesy of Jeff Platt. Deeb finished runner-up in back-to-back events at the WSOP Europe in Prague in the spring. Less than two weeks ago, Deeb had a big chip lead heads-up in the $3,000 Nine-Game Mix, only for Joey Couden to come back and steal the bracelet.
Deeb, though, never felt jinxed. Despite so many close calls and near-misses, he continued to do what he always does, endlessly grind until a win eventually came. “I know the variance in poker. I could’ve easily lost this heads-up match. I could’ve won the other ones. I just show up every day, play my game, and hopefully end up with all the chips like I did today,” he said.
Deeb Rises From the Ashes on Day 3
Deeb had a little luck on his side today. He was down to just 300,000 nine-handed and was all in with ace-deuce against Michael Koenig’s ace-six. Deeb found a deuce to survive, but the real turning point came later, when Koenig patted No. 2 in 2-7 Triple Draw, only for Deeb to draw a wheel for a miraculous double up.
Deeb finished off Koenig a short while later in ninth place. “That 2-7 hand is going to haunt me for a while,” Koenig told Deeb. By the time the seven-handed final table was set, Deeb had climbed all the way back to 3,400,000 and was in third place behind Fu Wong and Joe.
The bustouts came quickly at the start of the final table. Jason Riesenberg was all in against Joe in Pot-Limit Omaha with top two pair, only for Joe to turn a higher two pair to bust Riesenberg in seventh. Short stacks Patrick Mahoney (6th) and Itsuko Yoroi (5th) were the next to fall, and Deeb picked off a bluff from Blaz Zerjav in 2-7 Triple Draw to leave the two-time bracelet winner on fumes. Joe finished Zerjav off a few hands later, and then took out Wong in third to take a 12,500,000 to 6,500,000 chip lead over Deeb into heads-up.
Deeb Wages an Epic Duel With Joe
Deeb took the chip lead in a hand of Razz and then showed down a flush in Limit Hold’em to widen the gap. Joe, though, soon seized the momentum, making an 8-7-5 against Deeb’s 8-7-6. He then hit a flush in Omaha 8 or Better, before finally showing down trips in PLO as Deeb fell down to 3,000,000.
Deeb, though, came roaring back after calling down Joe with a pair of kings in Seven Card Stud. Deeb retook the chip lead in a flush-over-flush cooler before the two opponents tangled in a pot of Hold’em. Joe check-raised to 1,600,000 on the eight-high flop, and Deeb called. After checking the turn, Joe led out for 2,400,000 on the river, and Deeb called once again. Joe showed a pair of eights, but Deeb had rivered a straight to win the massive pot.
Joe found a double up when his kings held up in PLO. A few hands later, in another Omaha pot, Deeb bet 2,850,000 on the flop and snap-called when Joe moved all in for 3,500,000. Deeb had the two kings this time against Joe’s top pair, and Joe couldn’t find any help on the turn and river. Deeb’s pursuit of No. 9 had finally ended.
“I just made the nuts in a bunch of hands. I called a huge check-raise in PLO with a straight draw and a flush draw, and I made both. And then, you know, I had a few other hands where I just had it,” Deeb said. “When you make the best hand on the river heads-up, you’re gonna usually win the tournament.”
Three years ago, Deeb’s then-sixth bracelet came in this same event, when he beat an even bigger field of 789 players. The combination of the low buy-in and relative inexperience of many of his opponents in these games, combined with his mastery of all the poker variants, makes it one of his favorites. “It’s just a good mix for me. It’s a low buy-in, so a lot of people aren’t as comfortable in all the eight games, and you know, when I get some chips, I can be deadly. And I got some chips and kept winning pots,” Deeb said.
Not Done Yet: Deeb’s WSOP Grind Continues in Pursuit of Player of the Year
The victory today will put Deeb in a familiar spot, atop the leaderboard for Player of the Year. He’s already won it twice, including last year, and has his sights set firmly on a repeat. “It’s always my goal. I always want to go back-to-back. A week ago, or two weeks ago, three weeks, you know, I really didn’t think I had a shot, but it’s probably the closest player of the year race that there ever has been,” he said.
“It’s the same every day. Win or lose, I show up here, and I play everything”
“There are so many top players at it. Just having a lead every day, one of the top 10 guys is gonna cash and leapfrog or get a final table or get a win. So I got to get more scores. I don’t have enough cashes yet, and so I’ve got to hop in more events and multi-table, and hopefully get even on the summer.”
The work doesn’t stop for Deeb. He was already planning to hop right into the $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw event, with the $100,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller, an event he won last year, next on his calendar. Deeb fully embraces the grind of the WSOP. There are no days off when there are more bracelets and Player of the Year points to rack up.
“It’s the same every day. Win or lose, I show up here, and I play everything,” he said.
In this Series