With 14 bracelets and almost $50 million in event earnings between the 4 of them, there is not any denying that Shaun Deeb, Josh Arieh, Daniel Weinman and Matt Glantz are poker crushers. However with resumes that embody a $1 million bounty pull, a physique fats prop guess victory price almost the identical quantity and a win within the greatest World Collection of Poker (WSOP) Most important Occasion in historical past, it is clear the group of shut buddies even have luck on their sides.
The 4 American poker gamers have branded themselves as “Crew Fortunate” — a reputation that Deeb might have provide you with, although they don’t seem to be sure — as a means of consciously embracing and proudly owning their good fortunes whereas preventing again towards the jaded cynicism all to frequent within the poker world.
However Crew Fortunate is about greater than once-in-a-lifetime bounty binks and turned two-outers resulting in $12 million scores. As PokerNews discovered throughout brunch with its 4 members, is extra about friendship, camaraderie, and shared values than an excellent run of playing cards.
Crew Fortunate Origins
Crew Fortunate, which we have created a particular badge for in our reside reporting chip counts, wasn’t shaped in a hoop recreation or MTT, however in a web based gaming foyer.
“Again in 2017, all of us began taking part in Fortnite collectively,” Arieh, a six-time bracelet winner and the 2021 WSOP Participant of the Yr, defined on the patio of Mon Ami Gabi exterior Paris Las Vegas on Might 28.
“All of us began taking part in Fortnite after which discovered one another had been taking part in. After which we began taking part in. And we might play each day. After which Covid hits, and now we’re taking part in each day. And the Fortnite group grows. And so our Fortnite chat turns right into a chat of like 15-20 poker gamers. However we at all times wished to play collectively, and we had essentially the most enjoyable as a result of we’d actually simply be actually imply to one another. It was quite a lot of enjoyable. We gambled large.”
“We had been all buddies in poker,” stated Deeb, who can also be a six-time bracelet winner and former WSOP POY. “I grew to become tremendous shut with Dan, I used to be buddies with Matt for a very long time. Josh and me actually didn’t work together a lot, however I knew he was shut buddies with Dan. After which with Fortnite, we had been speaking to (one another) for eight hours a day and so they’re listening to my spouse and youngsters yell at me within the background.
The four-piece bought alongside so nicely that they “ended up creating our personal second chat with simply the 4 of us, and we’d at all times play collectively,” in accordance with Arieh. Their group chat was initially named “Unique Morning Crew,” however they thought higher than to affiliate themselves with the acronym “OMC,” a shorthand for “Outdated Man Espresso” in poker lingo.
“After which all of our success began coming collectively,” Arieh remembered. “They’d make enjoyable of me, saying such as you’re so fortunate, you’re so fortunate. Then Matt pulls the fuckin’ million-dollar bounty, after which Matt’s the fortunate one. After which Dan wins the Most important and he’s the fortunate one. And Shaun, we don’t know the place his luck is but.”
“I discovered 1,000,000 {dollars} by dropping 100 kilos,” Deeb replied on queue. “I don’t assume many individuals can say that.”
Excessive-Stakes Fortnite Bets
Earlier than lengthy, their pursuits in Fortnite and playing collided. They began betting on duo battles, with Deeb and Weinman, who wore black and gold “Crew Fortunate” hats throughout lunch, having an edge over Glantz and Arieh.
“They had been so significantly better,” stated Arieh. “After which Matt improved loads to the place he was nearly nearly as good as them. However I by no means improved.
“So identical to poker!” quipped Deeb.
They had been so significantly better, in actual fact, that Deeb determined to supply his buddies 7-1 odds that they would not win a match. However Arieh and Glantz in some way pulled forward in that match and secured a giant payday.
“I assure you, at that time, I used to be the main cash winner in Fortnite historical past,” Arieh stated. “It was earlier than there have been any tournaments or something. I gained extra money than any dwelling human at Fortnite.”
Like all good issues, the Fortnite betting got here to an finish. “We did quite a lot of dumb aspect bets through the years, and now Matt has enforced a rule you could’t intra-team guess anymore,” stated Deeb.
“These two can’t guess into one another, as a result of that creates quite a lot of issues,” Glantz stated gesturing to Arieh and Deeb.”We had quite a lot of dangerous emotions for some time. However it’s cleared up.”
Nonetheless, bets discover methods of being made round Crew Fortunate. Arieh stated he would take “limitless motion” this summer time on bets between Glantz, the one member of Crew Fortunate who has but to win a WSOP bracelet, and any bracelet winner.
“Effectively, limitless as much as what I can afford,” stated Arieh.
“Which isn’t that limitless,” stated Deeb.
“We Carry Out the Greatest in Every Different”
It is not the prop betting, on Fortnite or anything, that sustains Crew Fortunate, however quite a shared ethos and life-style between buddies.
“No person on this group actually does medication, no one drinks or goes to strip golf equipment,” stated Glantz.
“All of our objectives are actually comparable,” Arieh stated. “We don’t celebration, we’re household folks … It was nice for me as a result of I used to be going via a divorce, and as a substitute of going to the strip golf equipment and going to the bars and getting drunk, I’m hanging out with these guys each day. And it’s like, I couldn’t consider three higher position fashions and people who I wish to be like.”
Arieh, who re-married earlier this yr, added, “I’ve modified loads for the higher within the final 5 years.”
“We deliver out the very best in one another,” stated Deeb. “We aren’t pool corridor degens anymore — sorry Josh.”
Along with bringing out the very best in one another, Crew Fortunate has additionally modified its members worldviews.
“Josh likes to brag that earlier than I met him, I at all times bought into arguments that there isn’t any such factor as luck,” stated Deeb. “My children are skilled, if they are saying one thing about luck they are saying there’s no such factor as luck, there’s solely variance. And now, watching Josh maintain having the success he has and studying his hand historical past, there must be luck. It’s the one means he may very well be the place he’s.”
“So now he is aware of that there actually is luck,” stated Arieh. “So I modified Shaun from pondering there’s no such factor to believing in luck now. I’m very pleased with that.”
PR & Media Supervisor
PR & Media Supervisor for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.
