button in SafariDeeb Says Hellmuth 'Knows Deep Down' He'll Pass Him in WSOP Bracelets
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Shaun Deeb, while playing Sunday on No Gamble, No Future, said he wishes he was playing 20 years ago when Phil Hellmuth was "good at poker," and predicts he'll one day surpass the "Poker Brat's" World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet record.
The poker star competed in a high-stakes cash game the past two days on PokerGO against some other familiar faces, such as Tom Dwan, Jared Bleznick, Chris Moneymaker, and Erick Lindgren. There was no shortage of action during either session.
Hellmuth played tight on Saturday — only raising pre-flop in 7% of hands — which led commentator Nick Wright to step out of the broadcast booth and into the game. Deeb, on Sunday, made a play against Hellmuth, and then cracked on the Poker Hall of Famer's poker game.
Deeb to Break Top Poker Record?
Hellmuth, despite playing tight at most times, booked a $14,000 profit across two sessions. Deeb, on the other hand, lost nearly $100,000 overall, losing in both $100/$200 no-limit hold'em cash games.
Two weeks before the 2026 WSOP kicked off, Deeb made some bold predictions about Hellmuth's 17 bracelets, arguably the most coveted record in poker. The reigning WSOP Player of the Year, in an interview with PokerGO during Sunday's No Gamble, No Future livestream, made it clear he's coming after that record.
"I always feel like me and Phil's [Hellmuth] exact rapport, I'm the one person he can't just bring up his accolades against and brag about all he's done, because he knows deep down I'm going to pass him in bracelets," Deeb claims. "He knows I've won two Player of the Years. He's won zero, and he knows that I'm a lot younger than him."
Deeb and Daniel Negreanu are the only two-time WSOP Player of the Year winners. But Deeb, who turned 40 earlier this year to become Poker Hall of Fame eligible, is still nine bracelets shy of tying Hellmuth's record.
Hellmuth, who last won a bracelet in 2023, became the record-holder in 2007 when he won his 11th bracelet, surpassing Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson at the time. Phil Ivey is now in second place with 11, but far off the lead.
No player is even close to Hellmuth's record, and no one has won more than three bracelets in a year. So, even with the significant increase in bracelet events in recent years, Deeb is unlikely to catch up any time soon. But, if he matches his results since 2018 — six bracelets in seven years (COVID year excluded) — he would get to 14 by age 47, just three off the lead.
That said, despite Deeb predicting last year that Hellmuth would never win another bracelet, the Poker Brat could win additional bracelets and make reaching his record even more difficult. Not only that, but there are other players who could give Deeb a run, including Benny Glaser, who also has eight titles after a three-bracelet summer last year.
Is Hellmuth Past His Prime?
Deeb, who said in 2021 on Doug Polk's podcast that he'd one day break Hellmuth's bracelet record, didn't stop at making a bold prediction. He insinuated that the poker legend is no longer a great player.
"He can't compete with me at an endurance level," Deeb said during the No Gamble, No Future interview. "I wish I knew Phil 20 years when he actually was a good poker player."
Hellmuth has said in the past his goal is to win 24 bracelets before he hangs it up. The 61-year-old who won the WSOP Main Event in 1989 continues to play a full schedule each summer, and it doesn't appear he'll be slowing down any time soon. Deeb, however, doesn't seem to have any confidence in Hellmuth reaching that goal, or even adding on to his current record.
