During a PokerGO livestream, Shaun Deeb stated that Phil Hellmuth knows he will eventually surpass him in the number of WSOP bracelets. Deeb also questioned whether Hellmuth is past his prime and can compete with him in terms of endurance.
During his appearance on the "No Gamble, No Future" show on Sunday, Shaun Deeb said he wished he could go back 20 years to when Phil Hellmuth was "still very good at poker," and predicted that he would one day surpass the "poker prodigy's" World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet record.
Over the past two days, these poker stars, along with several familiar faces such as Tom Dwan, Jared Bleznick, Chris Moneymaker, and Erick Lindgren, participated in a high-stakes cash game on PokerGO. The two days were filled with exciting action.
Hellmuth played very tightly on Saturday—only raising pre-flop in a hand of 7%—which prompted commentator Nick Wright to leave the broadcast booth and join the game himself. Deeb then took action against Hellmuth on Sunday, subsequently criticizing the Poker Hall of Famer's playing style.
Will Deeb break the top poker record?
Despite playing tight for most of the time, Hellmuth still managed to make $14,000 in profit over the two games. On the other hand, Deeb lost nearly $100,000 in two $100/$200 No-Limit Hold'em cash games.
Two weeks before the 2026 WSOP, Deeb made some bold predictions about Hellmuth's 17 gold bracelets (arguably the most coveted record in poker). The current WSOP Player of the Year stated clearly in a PokerGO interview during Sunday's "No Gamble, No Future" livestream that he intends to challenge that record.
"I've always felt that's the kind of relationship I have with Phil. He's the only one who can't easily use his achievements to put me down or brag about his past accomplishments, because deep down he knows I'll surpass him in the number of bracelets," Deeb claimed. "He knows I've won Player of the Year twice. He's never won, and he also knows I'm much younger than him."
Deeb and Daniel Negreanu are the only two players to have won the WSOP Player of the Year title twice. However, Deeb, who just turned 40 earlier this year and was thus nominated for the Poker Hall of Fame, is still nine gold bracelets away from tying Hellmuth's record.
Hellmuth last won a gold bracelet in 2023, and he became the record holder in 2007 when he won his 11th bracelet, surpassing Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson. Phil Ivey is currently second with 11 bracelets, but is far behind the leader.
No competitor has yet come close to Hellmuth's record, and no one has won more than three bracelets in a single year. Therefore, even with the significant increase in the number of bracelet events in recent years, Deeb is unlikely to catch up anytime soon. However, if he can replicate his performance since 2018—winning six bracelets in seven years (excluding years canceled due to the pandemic)—he will reach 14 bracelets by age 47, just three shy of the leader.
That said, although Deeb predicted last year that Hellmuth would never win another gold bracelet, the "poker prodigy" could still add another, making it even more difficult to tie his record. Moreover, other players could also challenge Deeb, including Benny Glaser, who won three bracelets last summer and currently holds eight titles.
Is Hellmuth past its prime?
Back in 2021, Deeb stated on Doug Polk's podcast that he would one day break Hellmuth's gold bracelet record. He didn't stop at making bold predictions; he also implied that the poker legend was no longer a great player.
"He can't compete with me on an endurance level," Deeb said in an interview with No Gamble, No Future. "I really wish I had met Phil 20 years ago when he was a really good poker player."
Hellmuth has previously stated his goal is to win 24 gold bracelets before retiring. The 61-year-old legend, who won the WSOP Main Event in 1989, still plays the full tournament every summer and doesn't seem to have any plans to slow down anytime soon. However, Deeb appears to have little confidence that Hellmuth can achieve that goal, or even add to his current record.
Common Mistakes Review: Why Do You Keep Losing? The Problem Lies Here
Most players lose money not because of luck, but because they repeat the same mistakes.
These debriefings will help you identify the most common mistakes and understand how to correct them:
Why does constantly calling cause you to lose money?
[Bluff Imbalance] What are the costs of excessive bluffing?
Why do you always lose on the last street? [Never fold]
[Slow Play Error] Why do I lose big pots when I play slowly?
What's the problem with betting too small?
Why do people lose money when they bet too much?
[Emotional Issues] How do emotions affect your decision-making?
[Range Misjudgment] Analysis of Errors Caused by a Lack of Understanding of Range
[Location Ignore] What are the consequences of ignoring location?
[Misinterpreting People] The Impact of Misinterpreting an Opponent's Behavior
Avoiding mistakes is more important than learning new skills. By reviewing these common mistakes, you can quickly identify your weaknesses, correct your decision-making habits, and reduce unnecessary losses.
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