2026 World Series of Poker

Event #62: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #82: $10,000 WSOP Main Event NLH World Championship Event #85: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Event #86: $600 Ultra Stack No-limit Hold'em Show All Events
Day: 1
123
Event Info
2026 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
q♠10♦
Prize
$555,198
Event Info
Buy-in
$2,500
Prize Pool
$3,862,600
Total Entries
1,736
Level Info
Level
35
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Players Info - Day 1
Entries
1,736
Players Left
312
Players Left 1 / 1,736

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

Anthony Thompson
Anthony Thompson
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.