Two bracelets this Series for Deeb and Cada as WSOP closes in style

Cada and Deeb both win second bracelets of the year!

Joe Cada’s great series

Poker can be an unpredictable game full of surprises, with Joe Cada’s 2018 WSOP being a clear reflection of that. He began his series in the best way possible, winning event 3, the $3,000 Shootout, winning $226,218 in the process. The next few weeks saw a few cashes roll in for Cada, but the rest of his series appeared to be wrapping up rather uneventfully until the Main Event came around. In a field of 7,874 players, the 2009 champion almost achieved an unthinkable second Main Event final table, making it all the way to the final table before losing a huge flip to bust in 5th.

For most players this would have been emotionally draining enough for them to skip the final few events of the series and head home. Not Cada, however. He jumped straight into a $1,500 Hold’em tournament in event 75, with 3,120 runners. Cada promptly carved through the field to win it, bagging his second bracelet of the series and $612,886.

Shaun Deeb sees double

Shortly before Cada’s double bracelet heroics, Shaun Deeb had already claimed the limelight as the first player this series to win two. Deeb began his series by picking up 3rd place in the Lowball tournament of event 14 before kicking things up a notch or two, beating 229 players to win event 42, the $25,000 PLO, for $1,402,683.

The US pro followed this up with his fourth career bracelet, taking 1st place out of 355 runners in the $10,000 NLH 6 handed Big Blind Ante event, and collecting a further $814,179 in prize money. These latest victories elevate Deeb’s status as one of the best mixed game players around, capable of great things live, as well as online.

Player of the year

The title of Player of the Series is still very much up for grabs at this year’s WSOP, with Shaun Deeb firmly in contention. Deeb’s defeat of Ben Yu heads up in the $25,000 PLO event has helped him to lead the standings at this point with 4,386.84 points, as Yu’s win in event 77, the $50,000 Hold’em High Roller has now propelled him into 2nd with 3,706.04 points.

Also, still in contention with 3,552.69 points is John Hennigan, who has been a serious threat in all the mixed game events, finishing 7th in three events, along with 2nd in the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship and a 1st place in the $10,000 HORSE event. The Player of the Year title will not be decided with the final few events in Las Vegas of course, as the World Series of Poker Europe is still to come.