Apr 8, 2026
In the 953rd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway is at the 2026 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in Prague, where he is joined by special guest cohost Shaun Deeb, who talked about losing to quads twice when heads up for a gold bracelet.
He then talks about his passion for the Player of the Year race, responds to Nick Palma's poor sportsmanship comments, and shares his thoughts on the controversial Maurice Hawkins and the WSOP Circuit. Deeb also talks about whether or not he'd encourage his children to play poker, playing the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, coaching Hellmuth's sons, and why he thinks he'll ultimately surpass Phil Hellmuth atop the all-time bracelet list.
Finally, Deeb opens up about turning 40 and becoming eligible for the Poker Hall of Fame. Does he think he should get in? Deeb has never been one to shy away from sharing his thoughts, and that proved true in this in-depth interview from the 2026 WSOP Europe.
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Time
Stamps
00:00 Welcome to the show
01:50 Losing to quads… twice!
05:31 Going for WSOP Player of the Year
06:08 How does Prague compare to Rozvadov?
07:40 Responding to Nick Palma’s comments
09:57 Allen Kessler prop bet
11:44 Thoughts on Maurice Hawkins
16:13 Deeb for Poker Hall of Fame
19:30 Would you encourage your kids to play poker?
24:04 What was your go-to game as a kid?
27:16 Will you get more bracelets than Hellmuth?
28:41 National Heads-Up Poker Championship
29:30 Playing action Kevin Pollak