Freddy Deeb Wins 2nd Annual $50,000
Buy-in H.O.R.S.E. World Championship

"My first bracelet, I was a cash game player so it didn't matter that much to me"

The winner of the second annual $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. World Championship was Freddy Deeb, from Las Vegas, NV . This was Deeb's second World Series of Poker victory. He won a gold bracelet previously, back in 1996.

Deeb was born in Lebanon. He fled his homeland during the 1970s while his nation was in the midst of a civil war. Deeb was unable to secure legal residency and obtain a work permit inside the United States. So, he turned to gambling to make a living. He has been playing poker successfully for more than 30 years. Deeb is married and has four children.

With this showing, Deeb has now cashed 22 times at the WSOP. He owns two WSOP gold bracelets. His first win was for Deuce-to-Seven Lowball. The H.O.R.S.E. championship was his biggest career win by far. "When I won my first bracelet, I was mostly a cash game player so it didn't really matter that much to me," Deeb said. "But this one – it means everything to me. They are the toughest players in the world. It has the highest buy-in. Except for the $10,000 buy-in (main event) this is the bracelet that means the most of any of them."

Deeb is one of the most popular players on the poker tournament trail, with peers and fans alike. Deeb is routinely talkative, engaging, and humorous while he is playing. He often wears vibrant colored shirts, including at this final table when he wore what was termed his "lucky shirt."

When play was at four-handed, Deeb was all-in on a critical Omaha High-Low hand. He managed to scoop the pot and survive. That propelled Deeb back into the match. However, Deep was the shortest stack during much of play in the finale, yet still managed to outlast his final opponents in the end.

The final table lasted 14.5 hours. This finale ranked as the fourth-longest recorded final table in WSOP history. First place paid $2,276,832. Deeb was presented with his gold and diamond bracelet as well as a custom-designed wristwatch made by luxury watchmaker Corum, with WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack doing the honors.

"I have a very (loose) reputation as a poker player," Deeb said in a post-tournament press conference. "When I bet out, I know I am going to get called. So, I adjust my play and it works in my favor."

"When I sit down to play, I do not ask anyone -- what is the game," Deeb said when asked about the mix of poker games in H.O.R.S.E. "I just play whatever the game is dealt….You see what level they are at, and you go a level higher. That's how you win."

This event is generally regarded as the ultimate test of all-around poker skill. Five poker games are played in rotation – Hold'em, Omaha High-Low, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, and Stud Eight-or-Better. The tournament was played over a five-day period. This year's H.O.R.S.E. World Championship attracted 148 entries, up slightly from last year's inaugural number of 143.


by Nolan Dalla