888poker’s new 888Ride podcast has hit the airwaves, and the first guest is none other than the man himself, Shaun Deeb.
Join us as 888poker commentator David Tuchman gives Shaun Deeb a lift in the 888Ride and, along the way, discusses multi-tabling 40 tables at once, the Jeff Platt Curse, and other crazy poker-related events.
Check out the full-length Shaun Deeb podcast HERE.
World Series of Poker Glory & the Early Days
Shaun has been a close friend of poker player extraordinaire Frank Kassela for twenty years. He also shares something else in common with his "surrogate dad."
Frank was awarded the 2010 World Series of Poker Player of the Year (POY). Eight years later, in 2018, Shaun received the same title. – years after he had "retired from poker".
(Later in this episode, Shaun and Touch discuss the POY ratings and how the system works in detail.)
If you're not familiar with the tale, Deeb "retired" from poker when he was about 24 or 25 years old due to total burnout. He was travelling and playing live while, at the same time, playing online!
Cash games and/or tournaments – it was all about putting in the volume, and he loved it!
It wasn’t unusual to find Shaun routinely 40-tabling each and every night back in those days. Most people assumed he had like multiple monitors, but he did it all on a laptop with a touchpad.
Whether it is his ADHD or the fact that he used to do speed math competitions as a kid., he’s able to process information very quickly.
He could recall hands instantly and remember how opponents played. Four-bet shoving became second nature. He had so much more knowledge than the average pro that exploiting his opponents was a breeze..
RTA Software: Holding the Poker Community Accountable
With genius-level mathematical hops, Shaun's brain was made for online poker. However, there has been concern lately regarding GTO strategy and poker solvers, and the latest protagonist on the market is RTA (Real-Time Assistance).
RTA is mostly banned on online poker sites, including 888poker, which has even refunded players affected by RTA and bot software.
"One of my favourite things in the industry from early on in my career was to call out the scumbags and try to clean up the industry. I think that those things are a concern, but the players have done a great job of doing it. The sites have made such an effort to curtail that stuff…
"It's amazing to gamble and have a chance to have life-changing money. Wait, is it a sport? It's a mental sport, for sure. Mental sport, okay?"
The Jeff Platt Curse (Jinx)
During the 2023 WSOP, players and viewers noticed a phenomenon surrounding Jeff Platt’s on-the-ground interviews.
After each interview segment, the player interviewed by Jeff would bust out shortly afterwards.
Shaun was one of those who took notice and fanned the flames – just a little, maybe!
“I hope you know how I almost ended Jeff Platt's career this year. You should have. You should have. Somebody needs to do it. I started the whole Jeff Platt jinx, and then Weinman ran with it… Dan's company gave a cease and desist letter from a lawyer that Jeff is not allowed to be restraining, or whatever. He ordered protection. It was perfect. It was so perfect”.
Shaun and Dan Weinman (2023, WSOP Main Event champ) met at a final table many years ago and clicked with the same taste in humour. They have been fast friends ever since.
Some are saying @jeffplatt is a jinx. As his colleague, I am not saying that. I am in full support of Jeff.
— Natalie Bode (@nataliedbode) July 12, 2023
I stand with Jeff Platt https://t.co/hKtvv9u3zU
Studying a Game that Studies You, then Exploiting It!
Shaun admits he doesn't have the time to study – he's not good at studying.
His one fear?
"I'm going to get passed by at the game. And the worst thing about poker is when you get passed by and become a losing player, it can take a long time to realize it. So many people are convinced that they're just running bad or this or that.
Like, it's so hard to be objective, especially when it comes to tournaments, because the variance is so massive.”
Shaun believes there are no poker players out there right now who can be completely emotionless. Even the best in the world—Ike Haxton, Koon, Ivey, Negreanu, anyone—still have emotion.
In other words, you can exploit anyone in poker.
Coming Home
Shaun championed moving back to upstate New York after the nomadic life of a poker pro, but his wife wanted nothing to do with the cold weather.
"I will let you make every decision in our life except for two things, where kids go to school and where we live. Those are the only two things I want. You can make every other decision that is important to this family. Name the kids.”
And nowadays, he feels less of the urge to play and grind as much. So, when he’s away with the wife holding down the fort, he can focus on playing and winning, hopefully, more bracelets!
And it seems the apples haven’t fallen far from the tree. Both of Shaun’s sons are pretty clever maths whiz kids. But when it comes to skipping grades – fuhgeddaboudit!
Shaun wants his kids to have as normal a social upbringing as possible, associating with kids their own age.
Regarding his future as a poker pro?
"I am not Doyle Brunson; I am not Billy Baxter. I will not be a winning poker player into my 80s. It's just a fact. Why is that? Because the game will be too advanced, and you just can't stay sharp enough."
