Kassem "Freddy" Deeb

Born in in Beirut, Lebanon on November 27, 1955, Kassem "Freddy" Deeb is a professional poker player from Lebanon. He immigrated from Beirut to the United States at the age of 19 to enroll in the mechanical engineering program at Utah State University.

Short on money, Deeb was forced to quit school just a few credits short of graduation. His student visa, however, didn't allow him to work in the U.S. With few options to choose from, Deeb headed for Nevada with a small bankroll. He played in small-stakes games to build his bankroll. He was confident he would do well since playing poker was the only job that he had held as an adult.

Deeb was hiding his poker playing from his family, not just because his family wouldn't understand the unconventional life, but also because in general, the Middle East doesn't approve of gambling. He eventually broke the news to his parents after they came out to visit him in California.

Deeb's first WSOP cash was in 1990, when he placed second in the $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em event and won $130,000. He didn't win his first WSOP bracelet until 1996 when he won the $5,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw and earned $146,250. He also finished in-the-money at the WSOP Main Event twice, placing 17th in 1995 and 13th in 2003.

In 2002, Deeb made the final table at the WPT Season 1 $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Five Diamond World Poker Classic. After being bested by Gus Hansen and John Juanda, Deeb finished third for nearly $140,000. He won the WPT Season 4 Ultimate Poker Classic event, winning $1,000,000.

In 2007 Deeb won the prestigious $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event at the 2007 WSOP, winning over $2.2 million. Deeb said that he did not appreciate his first bracelet because he did not recognize what it meant, “But this one – it means everything to me. These are the toughest players in the world".

Deeb has also appeared in the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament series and in the GSN series, High Stakes Poker.

Deeb has been a poker pro since he started playing. He says that cash games are more dependable than tournaments and said that he considers his tournament winnings a bonus. Today, Deeb consistently cashes at World Series events. As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $6,100,000.

Freddy is also known for wearing his lucky shirt that was made famous during a televised hand with Phil Ivey during the 2003 WSOP, after Deeb got lucky on the turn. Afterwards, Ivey remarked, "Must be the shirt."

He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and four children. His daughter Jeanine Deeb has entered the industry on the operations side as a World Poker Tour Player Development and Casino Relations Manager.

COMMENTS:

jagal

zorobd on February 7, 2012

Nice shirt Freddy~!

bad_dog76 on November 30, 2007

I like this guy great player and nice person , never met him in fact I m from another country very very far from us!! I don t understand why his daughter try to defend him his not a good player and a nice guy because she says so his a great player because his career says so!! and he just won a second barcelet on HORSE and I m very happy for him!!

wail79 on June 30, 2007

What about that skinny bitch chewing all the time?

????? on August 9, 2006

I enjoy the way Mr. Deeb handles himself at the table. He is respectful but if necessary, will defend himself. If this were a forum to attack people personally, I would only suggest that Freddy quit chewing gum when he is on TV. It makes him look like he has no manners.

2toogo on August 5, 2006

DeVito is much bigger than this runt...he can't weigh more
than 65 lbs, and must be about 4'5" tall...forget about what
you see on TV...the tube makes you look much larger; I'am
5'9", and almost stepped on him in the Bellafio the first time I saw him.

????? on July 30, 2006

i didnt know danny devito had a twin.

jarrel on July 25, 2006

He was to small to be a jockey!...true fact

????? on November 25, 2005

I think Mr. Deeb is one of the coolest players out there. I always root for him. "May your opponents surrender or fall short against your hands."

Mr.redgreenwhite on October 10, 2005

Hey! That's my dad you guys are all talking about over here! And for the 1/2 of you that just like to talk shit, you have no idea how good of a player he is... You guys are just a bunch of hot heads who think you are all bad cause you play online. Get real! Don't be so jealous just cause your not one of these guys. My dad is a super cool guy and i'm sure if you guys met him you definately wouldn't be writing half that shit! To the rest of you! Thanks.. you guys are nice....

Jeanine

Deeb on September 11, 2005

All you guys stop hating on Freddie - just because he's announced a jihad on the poker world doesn't mean he's a terrorist. Get with it guys and give the kebab juggler the credit he deserves.

Tyro on August 31, 2005

You're right destructo, Gus will either bust out early or have a monster chip lead at the final table. Once he builds up that chip he can do whatever the fuck he likes and bully everyone else out of the game.

The Joker on August 30, 2005

Deeb is good, can't hate his style...but Hanson makes more mistakes than I've seen most pros make, and then benefits from them? I just don't understand it.

DrDestructo on August 27, 2005

Kassem is player good all he plays is 80% skill and 27% luck, all people like donuts

JetsFan315 on August 19, 2005

no, its actually ALLINwithKAorPAIR

Unregistered on August 16, 2005

whats this guys ultimate bet screenname

interested on August 1, 2005

I'm disgusted and offended by the previous post. C'mon now! If a person proficiently masters the nuances of ebonics then the sky's the limit. Virtually any opportunity is a door open miles wide. One can get a top-level job sweeping streets, shining shoes, or "slingin''caine". Not to mention it is an absolute necessity when inevitably ending up in jail...........BEIOTCH!!

Unregistered on July 29, 2005

Hey Ali, learn some English you doorknob.

Unregistered on July 28, 2005

Check it - dat dude sucks, strait up and down, aight? No respeck to dis dude after Daniel N. sticks it in him consistantly, aight

Ali G on July 19, 2005

friend of mine out played this moron with 3 8's against Q-Q. busted Freddy out,must be the shirt.

Unregistered on July 11, 2005

what was this guys name?

Unregistered on July 11, 2005

Erick Cunningham and it was 3 5's not 8's

Unregistered on July 11, 2005

Nothing to say, but underrated. Great player.

greatwhite on July 2, 2005

Posted by: [email]burth179@hotmail.com[/email] on Jul 19, 2004 - IP=198.140.4.205 "Gus Hansen is a crazy reckless player who gets extremely lucky. I'm not saying that he's not a great player, he is a great player and would whoop my a$$ for sure, but is no where near the player Deeb is. He's way too loose and aggressive. And that is a fact. I would put money on Deeb against Hansen in the long run." Bullshit, you fool, deeb isnt that great, hansen won the wpt championship and the poker superstars I tournament... deeb wins a good amount of money in cash games but in tourney play, hansen fucks him in the ass every time...and freddy likes it...alot

no. on June 28, 2005

Has the worst fashion in the game but he is fun to watch!

Unregistered on June 8, 2005

ohhh my god how can you say anything like that, you said in Bellagio after you just lost to Gus Hansen. He will always kick your ass!

Unregistered on May 27, 2005

This guy is a great, i call his all-in with a mediocre Q-10 hand against his big slick. Was i worried? No, because i have a habit pulling BS wins with crap. No hard feelings, im really a crap player who just wins with luck - u have real skill and patience.

Gus Hanson on May 20, 2005

i met freddy at the belagio last week and there isn't a nicer more friendly poker player out there. He sat and chatted with us for at least 25 minutes. great guy.

jeff on May 1, 2005

Hey morons this is a freddy deeb thread not gus hansen's.

Unregistered on April 1, 2005

Gus Hansen couldn't play his way out of a wet paper bag and needs a road map to know what hand to play...he's is just lucky and has no class or style. He should go back to Denmark or where ever he is from and herd his goats.

Unregistered on March 20, 2005

freddy deeb is a good, not great poker player.And he's greasy, slimy. Not exactly someone you wouldlike to hang around. He's actually more reprhensible than Lyle Berman or Billy Baxter.

akbarthephat on March 7, 2005

I had the privelege of meeting freedy this past weekend at harrahs san diego. Freddy is way more down to earth than most any one i've ever met. Gus and Freddy are both great players, and for anyone who thinks Gus is just lucky read Card Player vol 18 Feb 2005, there is a great article. Thanks for the autograph Freddy, Vanessa and I will see ya in Vegas this summer for that small tournament at the Rio and Horseshoe ..... lol...... good luck buddy.....

Eliot Mackey on March 3, 2005

thinks he is in the mafia...whats with his shirts,,,looks like devito. In conclusion a bad poker player

iveyfan05 on March 2, 2005

i have nothing to say, just wanted to rub in Q 10..lol

the Q 10 bomber on February 20, 2005

Freddy Deeb is a good poker player. But lets not over do it here. For those of you who say he is better than Gus, I would say your dead money at a poker table. Wake up and get a clue. He is not even in the top 10 in the world. Gus Hansen, Daniel Negraneau, Howard Lederer, Phil Ivy, Phil Helmuth, T.J. Cloutier, just to name a few. Freddy makes the mistake of not betting before the flop when he has a hand and tries to wait and get a pay off at the end, and against the better players he will lose his money 9 out of 10 times because he can be scared out of pots by big bets in the early betting rounds. He's just to easy to read. They say nice guys finish last and Freddy is a really nice guy...

Check Raise on January 12, 2005

I was in Tunica, MS this past weekend playing blackjack and hold 'em at the Gold Strike Hotel and Casino, and I got to meet Mr. Deeb, who was walking through the casino. Not only is he a great poker player, but he's also a very nice guy.

Ivan on January 10, 2005

Chris apparantly has never seen these players; calling hansen "little"..............DEEB IS APP 4FT 9 INCHESTALL AND WEIGHS 85 POUNDS!

no name on January 6, 2005

i THINK he is great play.

KIM on December 31, 2004

Deeb is a poker pro, he plays the game like few do.Hansen is a pretentious little **** that can onlydream of players like deeb.

chris on December 25, 2004

I Know Kassem way back in the mid seventies .He calculates all the risk for the game ,and definetly knows what to do next .

joseph/The contractor/Eldiraoui on December 23, 2004

deebs a solid player,not spectacular, but a winner..

djnpa_30 on November 30, 2004

deeb sucks..no style in poker or the way he dresses...loser deeb!

richardeum on November 22, 2004

For anyone to make any comments on the call from Gus had to at least see it happen to make an opinion. It may not of been a bad call from Gus if it meant taking Deeb out of the game and it meant only losing a small portion of his chips if he lost. I hate hate hearing people keep calling certain players lucky. Hello people it's gambling...stop hating or insulting the lucky player. People say Gus is lucky, well that may be true but if it's true then he knows it and plays accordingly..hence his aggressive style. If I got cards the way Gus did I would play the way he does. I've also seen Gus lay down good hands before so he is capable of playing tight when he needs to. On all of these threads I read on all these players are different opinions on who is a better player but really it comes down to different styles. Seems if a poker player is listed here that has a different styles then the people posting here they call them bad players even if they have won a lot. People are intitled to there opinion but people really need to understand the game before giving one.

Unregistered on November 2, 2004

stevie wonder can out play him.

ahh chew on October 26, 2004

Freddy & I go back 20+ years. He and Mike the Cop are among the few real Low Ball Masters still around, and he is a top, top Hold Em player in ANY Crowd I advise you wanna be's to not EVER really piss Freddy off. I've seen him go across the table after guys, for less insults than the crap some say here. Freddy has something you can't buy: CLASS. Freddy is 6'13" if needed, but above all he has heart. Take some time, and get to know him.

Mike/The Grim Reaper/brainstormrandd on October 21, 2004

I meet him at the Binion's this year, seamed like a pretty cool guy. Has a lot of poker experience, much better player and dresser than Hansen, just doesn't have the young appeal.

G.. on October 8, 2004

He's a funny guy, curses up a storm whenever he loses a hand.

Rick on September 14, 2004

how do u pronounce his first name

manual on September 2, 2004

I knew Kassem way back when ... 1979...remember Logan, Utah? Kassem was serious about gambling way back then. The rest of us thought he crazy to cash in his engineering schooling for the neon lights. I see who had the last laugh!

Becky on August 26, 2004

Deeb is a good player, but couldnt beat hansen 9 out of 10 times. Hansen did get lucky on the wpt but he is definitely the better player. And the shit about him being a terrorist? Just because your white doesnt mean your in the KKK. Get over your jealousy and give the man the respect he deserves.

Andrew on August 21, 2004

Deeb is a horrible tight player. If deeb moves all in on you DONT CALL he at least has an overpair. I really dont know how he makes so many final tables because he is not very aggressive. HEADS UP HE GOT OWNED BY DANIEL NEGREANU. DANIEL put Deeb on tilt after he showed his stone cold bluff after making deeb lay down A K while holding top pair. Daniel also completely read Deeb on multiple occasions. I have never seen a player get dominated heads up anymore than Deeb vrs. Negreanu, this tournament was recently shown of Fox Sports Net. Granted Hansen made a bad call against a tight player like Deeb and gave him a bad beat but Deeb also screwed Ivey at the WSOP 2003. I agree that Deeb is better than Varkonyi and Sam Grizzle but he is no match for Hansen. Gus is one of the most successful players in today's poker world. You will see Hansen on Fox Sports Nets showdown between the eight best players alive today and there is NO CHANCE THAT DEEB WOULD be invited to a tournament like that because those guys would RUN OVER DEEB. I will take Burth179's bet any day of the week. To win and place in as many WPT tables as Hansen did, he can't be lucky, HE IS JUST an aggressive player who plays power poker. P.S. What's up with this terroist bs. Deeb is just a Lebanon poker player.. nothing wrong with that man he's no terrorist. Although his shirts are quite dangerous. :)

The Corporation - Will on August 10, 2004

deeb is cool

smash on August 9, 2004

Deeb Could of won it all to bad he made a stupid paul phillips move allin with a crappy pocket pair

Unregistered on August 1, 2004

hansen is a moron who has probably molded his style after varkonyi seems like a common fish for players to copy since grizzle also did deeb is better then all 3 of them

Unregistered on August 1, 2004

Gus Hansen is a crazy reckless player who gets extremely lucky. I'm not saying that he's not a great player, he is a great player and would whoop my a$$ for sure, but is no where near the player Deeb is. He's way too loose and aggressive. And that is a fact. I would put money on Deeb against Hansen in the long run.

burth179 on July 18, 2004

Hansen did the right thing to send the cry baby Deeb home!!!!! This is poker! Not some sunday game that he wisch it was**lol*

Big on July 16, 2004

Right on, Chris. The man has forgotten more about poker than any of us are likely to learn.

herman007 on July 1, 2004

Flat out Freddy can beat any of you any time of the day in any kind of poker.

john. on June 29, 2004

horrible. this guy couldn't play my money if i was going to die in one hour and had no family or friends.

sportsbettor on June 28, 2004

he is a famous professional and you guys are unknown wannabes. Anyone who knows anything about Poker or Freddy knows he makes insanely huge amounts of money playing high stakes in Vegas. He pulls down more in a week of poker than you ignorant, jealous racists have made in your entire lives playing poker. Im sure if he saw these qoutes he wouldn't mind though because he knows you guys could not beat him in one hand. Have fun living out your pathetic lives in jealousy, knowing you won't accomplish one thousanth of the success. Ignorant fools like you represent the worst of the U.S. And are the reason so many people hate us. Or perhaps Deeb took some of your money in Vegas, and you still haven't got over it.

Chris on June 23, 2004

what an arrogant bastard... I think it's a stab in his face everyday, that gus hansen has gone on to totally outshine deeb in every aspect the game.

akerman on June 18, 2004

He's good, but in the 2003 WSOP appearence, had a horrible shirt that i will never forget.

Jon on June 6, 2004

"Must be the shirt" - Phil Ivey

yur worst nightmare on June 6, 2004

hansen is an idiot for calling deeb. If i was deep i would have hit hansen in his face.

slimboy on March 29, 2004

deeb is one of the better players ive seen in a while

jo/yentz/yentz on March 1, 2004

Mr. Deeb you have a pottie mouth!

BillyTSlim on February 24, 2004

Worm

Kassem "Freddy" Deeb

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