Summary:
- Shaun Deeb has climbed to the top spot in the ongoing WSOP POY race, overtaking Ian Matakis
- Deeb has so far recorded 12 cashes in the 2023 WSOP, including a bracelet win
- If he wins the title this year, he becomes just the second player to be crowned WSOP POY twice
Shaun Deeb could claim his second World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year (POY) title this year after taking the lead in the ongoing race just weeks before the 2023 live festival comes to a close.
The American poker pro has consistently been on the top 10 of the POY leaderboard since first winning the title in 2018. He came close to taking the title again in 2019 when he ultimately finished at No. 2, less than 50 points behind that year’s winner, Australia’s Robert Campbell.
Shaun Deeb Overtakes Ian Matakis in 2023 WSOP POY Race
Shaun Deeb’s latest 2023 WSOP live results – a final table score (5th) in Event #45: $1,500 Mixed Omaha (PLO Hi-Lo 8+, Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8+, Big O), followed by a 19th-place finish in Event #55: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better – pushed his POY points to 3,143.03, just enough to take over the top spot from Ian Matakis who previously dominated the race.
Deeb’s 2023 WSOP campaign has been going well so far, with the 37-year-old winning his sixth bracelet earlier this month in Event #27: $1,500 Mixed Games: Eight-Game Mix – 6-Handed, a victory that also came with a top prize worth $198,854.
As of this writing, Deeb has climbed to No. 1 on the POY leaderboard with 3,143.03 points, followed by Matakis with 3,008.67. Michael Rodrigues Pires Santos is currently at No. 3 with 2,476.23 points, one spot ahead of Chance Kornuth who is ranked 4th, with 2,312.77 points. Josh Arieh is still in contention for the title as he is now at No. 5 with 2,307.95 points.
Completing the top 10 are Chris Brewer (6th, 2,300.38 points), Chad Eveslage (7th, 2,217.92 points), Mike Gorodinsky (8th, 2,197.22),
Michael Moncek (9th, 2,151.16 points), and John Monnette (10th, 2,112.98 points).
Deeb Eyeing Second POY Title
Deeb is currently performing at a similar pace in 2018 when he was crowned POY after recording 20 cashes and winning two bracelets. Since the start of the 2023 WSOP festival, the poker pro has cashed in a total of 12 events, one of which earned him his sixth bracelet. With further deep runs in the coming weeks, Deeb would rack up more points to stay at the top.
This means he could very well win his second POY title this year, becoming just the second player in history to achieve such a feat. Daniel Negreanu currently holds that record after claiming the honor in 2004 and 2013.
