button in SafariJoey Couden Denies Shaun Deeb Bracelet In $3k 9-Game Heads Up Struggle
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Tonight, playing under the sweltering spotlights of the feature table at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, Joey Couden wrote himself in the history books at the 2026 World Series of Poker.
Late in the night, Couden defeated Shaun Deeb in Event #52: $3,000 Nine Game Mix, becoming the last player standing from a record-breaking field of 472 entries. After a rough start to his summer, Deeb appeared in his 17th heads-up battle in a bracelet event. However, after three and a half hours, Couden was crowned the champion, denying Deeb his ninth bracelet. As a result, Couden captured the $254,470 top prize, his largest score to date.
"It means a lot to me. I feel blessed, just feels great," Couden shared after receiving the lion's share of the $1,260,240 prize pool and a third piece of WSOP hardware for his prize cabinet, "I just wanted it so bad."
Event #52: $3,000 Nine Game Mix Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joey Couden | United States | $254,470 |
| 2 | Shaun Deeb | United States | $166,540 |
| 3 | Kazuhiro Shirasawa | Japan | $111,610 |
| 4 | Thomas Taylor | Canada | $76,510 |
| 5 | Yu Li | China | $53,680 |
| 6 | Antonios Onoufriou | Cyprus | $38,560 |
| 7 | Noah Bronstein | United States | $28,390 |
Staying Focused and Finding Motivation
Couden and Deeb were surrounded by a boisterous crowd all night, although Couden stated it did not impact his focus in any way, nor did the numerous swings and chip-lead changes during the heads-up battle: "I didn't think too hard about any of that stuff, just try to lock in every hand. One at a time, you know."
Couden was at one time a pure no-limit hold'em player, but got into mixed games as a hobby: "Instead of going out to clubs and partying, I would get with a group of friends and party and play mix. I was always trying to learn a new skill."
His eagerness to learn got him picked in the 25K Fantasy this year, something that brings him extraordinary motivation: "It makes it easier to get up every day, keep going. You're in group chats with buddies, and they're rooting for you. I think it's the funnest thing. It's just so interesting and fun."
Couden's Road to Victory
Couden started the day in the middle of the pack of the 21 returning players, but after a few hours, he knocked out Mike Gorodinsky (9th -$21,420) and Hall of Famer Eli Elezra (8th - $21,420) in quick succession to get the field to a final table of seven, which he started second in chips.
From that point, it appeared to become the Shaun Deeb show. Deeb knocked out Noah Bronstein, Antonios Onoufriou, and Yu Li to create a huge chip lead four-handed. Last year's runner-up Thomas Taylor was then eliminated by Couden in fourth place. However, he still started the heads-up with a two-to-one deficit after Deeb had sent Kazuhiro Shirasawa to the rail in third.
What followed was a heads-up match that saw Couden claw back from the depths. Both players went on to exchange the lead several times, battling hard for every pot. Both were cheered on by sizable and loud rails, with friendly chants and needles going back and forth between the two sides. Eventually, Couden won a big hand in Stud and, not long after, left Deeb with no chips. Deeb immediately left the tournament area as an elated Couden celebrated his new WSOP bracelet with his many friends.
That concludes the PokerNews coverage for this event, but be sure to check out our WSOP live reporting hub as we bring you all the latest from every bracelet event during the 2026 World Series of Poker.
