ShareShaun Deeb has given an update on his crazy $1,000,000 weight loss bet with Bill Perkins on the CardPlayer podcast, telling how well it has been going for him. The six-time WSOP bracelet winner also gave some insight into recent happenings in his career, including his biggest ever score.
Some readers will remember Bill Perkins losing a weight loss bet with the Staples brothers a couple of years ago. Jaime had to lose significant weight while Matt needed to bulk up until the pair were almost identical on the scales.
Now, Perkins is risking $1,000,000 to Shaun Deeb’s $100,000 for the latter to reach 17% body fat within a year.
Deeb started off at 306 lbs (139 kg) and at the time of the interview had got down to 252 lbs (114.5 kg). That’s a great start and he was already talking about having the challenge over and done with by Christmas.
The 37-year-old also gave some insight into his mindset and struggles during this process. He told how difficult it would be for him to keep this up training alone because he enjoys working with a trainer and the aspect of competing with others.
Mixed Results at the 2023 WSOP
This year’s World Series of Poker was a mixed bag for Shaun Deeb. Although he finished second in the Player of the Year race, he also chalked up his worst string of results financially and running bad in the high rollers. He spent $650k in buy-ins and only won $350k.
All that said, he did win his sixth WSOP bracelet and he accepts the financial loss because he admittedly plays a -EV strategy in some events to increase the chance of a bracelet or Player of the Year victory.
Deeb did still find reason to celebrate at the end of the series, missing the last 5-7 events as his friend Dan Weinman won the Main Event, for which he had a big chunk of action.
He started with a 10% swap, which they do in every event, and then when it came down to three-handed with heavy ICM pressure he bought even more. This turned out to be the biggest score in Shaun Deeb's career and he also said it was the greatest money in his 20-year career too, sharing this moment with a friend.
There’s much more to listen to in this interview, including about just how hard-working Shaun Deeb is and what a typical day can be like.
Time will tell if he can pull off this weight-loss bet but he’s got off to a great start. For one thing, he’s definitely looking forward to being able to shave off his bread and sort his hair out.
If you were wondering how much detail Deeb puts into making +EV moves, just consider that he is talking about having dreadlocks done just so he will have an extra couple of kilograms of lean mass on his body. Real commitment!
