Shaun Deeb's run at a second consecutive Player of the Year title hit a snag at the 2026 WSOP when the defending POY busted fifth place in the $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship. Deeb arrived in Las Vegas sitting second in the overall POY standings after two runner-up finishes from WSOP Europe already on his resume.
The 2-7 lowball event punished Deeb when he needed it least. With the current POY scoring system heavily weighting bracelet victories at 6x multiplier, a deep run or win in this tournament would have significantly boosted his chase. Instead, his fifth-place exit leaves him vulnerable heading into the remainder of the series.
Deeb's situation reflects the brutal mathematics of modern POY races. Runner-up finishes stack points fast, but they cannot match the scoring power of actual bracelets. Two WSOP Europe second places gave him early momentum, yet that foundation crumbles without bracelet victories to anchor a serious title defense. The five-figure buy-in draw tournament attracted the game's strongest 2-7 specialists, and Deeb simply ran out of ammunition before reaching the final three.
The defending champ still commands respect on the felt. His presence at deep stages of high-stakes tournaments remains consistent. Yet consistency alone does not win Player of the Year races anymore. The field hunting for POY honors has grown sharper and more aggressive about stacking bracelets rather than settling for final table appearances.
Deeb's path to a second POY crown now requires bracelet wins in upcoming WSOP events. Every remaining tournament becomes higher leverage. Competitors sensing weakness in his current position will target similar events where they can stake bracelet claims. The lowball bust demonstrates that even elite players fall victim to