Shaun Deeb Wins 7th WSOP Bracelet, Takes POY Race Lead
Summary:
- Shaun Deeb beat Isaac Haxton on Thursday, winning the $100K PLO High Roller and taking home $2.96 million.
- The victory brought him his seventh World Series of Poker bracelet, pushing him to the top of the Player of the Year race.
- The New Yorker is considering skipping the Main Event to chase more POY points in other events.
Shaun Deeb’s poker résumé just became more impressive on Thursday, when he defeated Isaac Haxton heads-up to win his seventh World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet.
The win also marked Deeb’s stepping into the lead in the Player of the Year (POY) race, for a real chance of claiming the honor for a second time.
He Took Home Roughly $3 Million
Deeb recorded the fresh victory in one of the summer’s most iconic poker events, the $100,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller.
The 39-year-old was seen battling through a field of 121 skilled players to win Event #79 for a top prize of $2,957,229, which is more than double his previous best live cash.
The final table, as expected, brought in big names in the industry. Haxton took home $1,972,860 for finishing second, while Arthur Morris took third for $1,368,994.
Other notables included Spanish pro Lautaro Guerra in fourth ($976,082) and legend Phil Ivey in fifth ($715,614).
Heated Action
The final day started with Haxton holding the chip lead. Action was fast-paced as stacks shifted dramatically during the first few levels.
Sean Rafael, short-stacked from the start, was the first to fall after running into Haxton’s turned wheel. Alex Foxen followed him out shortly after when Haxton’s aces and nines bested his ace-high call.
Haxton seemed unstoppable as he eliminated three players in succession, including Ivey, whose gritty short-stack play ultimately came up short. Guerra also put up a spirited fight before running into Haxton’s Broadway straight and settling for fourth.
At that point, Deeb still faced a daunting challenge, but he clawed his way back from the brink on several occasions.
The Troy, New York native first survived against Morris’ top set and later crippled Morris during three-handed play by outkicking him in an ace-on-ace showdown. Morris, who had already finished runner-up in another Omaha event this series, was eliminated soon after.
Once heads-up resumed after dinner, Deeb wasted no time flipping the script. He quickly erased a slight chip deficit and never looked back.
The final hand saw both players all-in on a jack-high board, each holding overpairs, but Deeb’s spade draw completed on the river to seal the win and spark cheers from his rail.
On Top of the POY Standings
With this victory, Deeb now sits atop the POY standings, ahead of Benny Glaser, Martin Kabrhel, and Scott Bohlman.
“The Main Event is the worst tournament for Player of the Year” he told PokerNews, hinting he may even skip it to focus on POY points.
Though unofficial tallies show Deeb slightly ahead of Glaser, both still have online results to be added.
The race remains tight, but with his relentless drive and another bracelet in hand, Deeb has made clear he’s all-in on chasing another Player of the Year crown.
