2026 World Series of Poker

Event #58: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw
Event #50: $1,500 Millionaire Maker Event #55: $50,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha Event #57: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Event #58: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Event #59: $500 Salute to Warriors Event #60: $50,000 Poker Players Championship Show All Events
Day: 1
12
Event Info
2026 World Series of Poker
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,500
Prize Pool
$872,167
Total Entries
657
Players Left
125
Average Chip Stack
131,400
Total Chips
16,425,000
Level Info
Level
16
Limits
5,000 / 10,000
Ante
0
Players Info - Day 1
Entries
657
Players Left
125
Players Left 125 / 657
New Updates

Who Are the Unluckiest Heads-Up Players in WSOP History?

Calum Grant
Calum Grant
Ren Lin x Chino Rheem
Ren Lin x Chino Rheem

Shaun Deeb came up one spot short yet again for a 2026 World Series of Poker bracelet, falling to Joey Couden in Event #52: $3,000 Nine Game Mix after a grueling three-and-a-half-hour heads-up battle. The defeat was Deeb's ninth in a bracelet match and dropped his all-time heads-up record to 8-9.

The latest near miss added to a frustrating run of runner-up finishes for the eight-time bracelet winner. Deeb had already finished second twice at WSOP Europe earlier this year to take an early lead in the Player of the Year race, but after arriving in Las Vegas with just one cash through the opening weeks of the series, another silver medal may prove crucial as he chases back-to-back POY titles.

As painful as Deeb's 8-9 record may be, it doesn't rank among the unluckiest in WSOP history. Several poker crushers have reached heads-up for a bracelet time and again, only to walk away empty-handed. Here are the players with the most WSOP runner-up finishes without ever sealing the deal.