The curse continues for Shaun Deeb at the World Series of Poker.
Despite holding a massive chip lead during heads-up play, Deeb was denied his ninth career bracelet by Joey Couden in the $3,000 buy-in Nine-Game Mix event early Saturday.
Couden earned his third career WSOP bracelet, which are awarded for tournament victories, and the $254,470 top prize after a grueling heads-up battle that lasted close to four hours.
“It means a lot to me. I feel blessed, just feels great,” Couden told PokerNews.com. “I just wanted it so bad.”
Deeb is having one of his worst summers at the WSOP, cashing in just one event prior to this runner-up finish. Early in the series, WSOP commentator Jeff Platt called on WWE star Danhausen to place a curse on Deeb.
“I greatly respect your accomplishments. You are a tremendous poker player,” Platt wrote on X about Deeb with the accompanying video of Danhausen. “Yet your disrespect of sideline reporters cannot be tolerated.”
Hey @shaundeeb,
I greatly respect your accomplishments. You are a tremendous poker player.
Yet your disrespect of sideline reporters cannot be tolerated.
I asked my friend @DanhausenAD to send you a message for the 2026 @WSOP pic.twitter.com/bAAny8zjtH
— Jeff Platt (@jeffplatt) June 3, 2026
Danhausen went viral this spring when he cursed the New York Knicks during an appearance on ESPN prior to the start of the NBA playoffs. New York fell behind the Atlanta Hawks in the opening round before Danhausen uncursed the Knicks, who went on to win 15 of the next 16 games en route to their first title since 1973.
Deeb, a resident of Wynantskill, New York, appeared to be on his way to breaking his own Danhausen curse. He held a commanding chip lead over the 21 remaining players at the start of Day 3 of the Nine-Game Mix event and was responsible for four of the first five eliminations at the final table.
When heads-up play started, Deeb held a 2-to-1 chip advantage over Couden and extended his lead before the first break. But Deeb was unable to put away Couden, and the two traded the chip lead several times over the next two levels of action.
Couden took the lead during a Limit Hold’em hand and then left Deeb short on chips after winning a big pot in Seven-card Stud.
On the final hand, with the players competing in Razz and a vocal crowd cheering the action, Deeb was all-in on fifth street. He made an eight-high, but Couden improved his hand to a six-high on his final card to eliminate Deeb.
Deeb, who quickly left the tournament area after getting knocked out, was looking to become the seventh player in WSOP history with nine or more bracelets. He would have tied the legendary Johnny Moss on the all-time list.
Instead, Deeb had to settle for the $166,540 second prize and key points in the WSOP Player of the Year race. Deeb, the reigning player of the year, is eighth in the latest standings.
Couden outlasted a record field of 472 players to earn the biggest cash of his career. He pushed his career live tournament earnings to more than $3.4 million, according to the Hendon Mob Poker Database.
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.
