Poker Stories: Shaun Deeb

Shaun Deeb was just 16 when he fell in love with poker, hosting tournaments at his home in New York. It wasn't long before he was focusing more on cards than school, and Deeb found himself quickly rising the ranks among the best online players in the world, reaching no. 1 in 2009.

In the live arena, Deeb has done most of his damage at the World Series of Poker. Not only is he in an elite group of just 22 players with at least six bracelets, but he is consistently one of the best performers each summer in the WSOP Player of the Year race. In fact since 2015, Deeb has finished in sixth place or better six times! In total, he has racked up more than $13.5 million in live tournament earnings during his career, to go along with millions more won online.

Deeb finished in second place in this summer's WSOP POY race, but also has four other wins in 2023, putting him in the top 20 of the year-long POY race as well. The 37-year-old has done it while also working on a weight-loss prop bet with Bill Perkins that will earn him a seven-figure payout if he can get down to 17 percent body fat by next summer's series.

Highlights from this interview include growing dreadlocks to lose body fat percentage, how WSOP main event champ Dan Weinman saved his summer, winning a circuit ring for his chicken fingers, 'retiring' after burn out, a team wafflecrush update, investing in a sub franchise over daily fantasy sports, letting Gus Hansen take his million dollar seat, being a 'foot-on-the-gas-type' player, slowrolling Mike Matusow, why Max Heinzelmann cost him Ben Lamb's money, not being afraid to speak his mind, passing his sparkly black crown to Ian Matakis, hating all music and refusing to dance, losing 5/6ths of a $200,000 pot, the biggest open face Chinese games, passing on the family restaurant business, 50-hour sessions, and undercooked chicken as a murder weapon.