One Cash in 60 Bullets: Inside Shaun Deeb’s Slow WSOP Start

By Mrinal Gujare

2 hours ago

Mrinal Gujare 2 hours ago

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Shaun Deeb has only 1 cash in 60 WSOP entries.
Despite struggles, he's 2nd on Player of the Year leaderboard.
A wrestler's 'curse' is blamed, but Deeb still has a shot.

Image Credit: Jess Beck / Pokernews

Shaun Deeb is experiencing his worst World Series of Poker start ever, cashing once in 60 bullets. Despite a fifth-place finish and a rumored wrestling curse, his previous WSOP Europe success keeps him second on the Player of the Year leaderboard.

Shaun Deeb arrived at the 2026 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas determined to secure the Player of the Year title for the second consecutive year. His campaign started on solid ground after banking significant points at WSOP Europe, which serves as the first of three POY-eligible series scheduled for this year.

However, Deeb recognized that a repeat victory would require a sustained performance and likely another hardware addition to his trophy case.

Speaking with PokerOrg ahead of the summer series, Deeb outlined his outlook for the race. He noted that winning a bracelet in Vegas or at the upcoming WSOP Paradise would make him a massive favorite for the accolade, while acknowledging that he would still need numerous deep runs and final table appearances to secure it.

The expected deep runs have yet to materialize for the defending champion. According to commentator Jeff Platt on the WSOP Countdown show, Deeb has managed just a single cash despite firing 60 bullets so far this summer.

Platt revealed that Deeb described the current stretch as his worst World Series of Poker performance of all time.

The drop in production is stark when compared to his award-winning run last year. At the exact same juncture last summer, Deeb had already accumulated eight cashes, a total that featured both a second place and a third place finish.

His solitary cash of the current summer series was a deep run, resulting in a $99,557 payout for finishing fifth in the $10K NL 2-7 Lowball Championship. Aside from that score, Deeb has consistently missed the money.

He recently flirted with a cash in the $10K Limit Championship but was ultimately eliminated just before the bubble burst.

While standard poker variance is the logical explanation for such a cold streak, a unique storyline has emerged surrounding Deeb's summer. At the start of the series, WWE wrestler Danhausen placed a curse on the reigning Player of the Year.

Proponents of the superstition point to a recent track record of bad luck compiled by a former television host. According to the compiled evidence, Dominik Mysterio lost the IC Title following a Danhausen curse.

The Miz experienced months of losses, pyrotechnic failures, equipment malfunctions, and continuous bad luck. Kit Wilson lost matches to both Danhausen and Jelly Roll post-curse.

Outside of individual competitors, the Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated from the playoffs, and the Carolina Hurricanes lost a double-overtime game to miss their chance to tie the Stanley Cup Final. Conversely, when Danhausen lifted a curse from the Knicks, the team embarked on a successful playoff run.

To rectify the situation, Deeb has the option to pay for a removal of the curse, a move that any of his fantasy poker managers can also make on his behalf.

Deeb is not alone in his struggles among the game's elite in Las Vegas. High-stakes pro Jason Koon is still searching for his first cash of the summer, though he remains active in the field of the $250K Super High Roller.

Similarly, Poker Hall of Fame member Phil Ivey has mirrored Deeb by logging just one cash this summer, though it was a notable ninth-place finish in the $10K Limit Championship.

Despite his historically slow start in Las Vegas, Deeb remains in a competitive position for the overall crown.

Thanks to the heavy volume of points he accumulated during his trip to WSOP Europe, he currently holds the second spot on the overall POY leaderboard. He trails Naoya Kihara, who surged to the top of the standings after winning two bracelets this summer.

A single cash out of 60 entries represents a highly unusual slump for Deeb. However, with dozens of bracelet events left on the summer schedule and the WSOP Paradise series waiting in December, the defending Player of the Year remains firmly in contention to repeat.

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One Cash in 60 Bullets: Inside Shaun Deeb’s Slow WSOP Start

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