Kassem “Freddy” Deeb was born in Beirut, Lebanon and came to the United States seeking higher education. He attended Utah State University and was studying for a degree in mechanical engineering when a civil war erupted back in Lebanon. All contact with his family ceased for two years. His parents had been paying his living and education expenses, including his pricy tuition, and the termination of contact with his parents led to his having to drop out of school only twelve credits away from graduation. On a student visa, Freddy was unable to gain legal employment in the United States, so he turned to some West Coast casinos and began to make money playing poker.

Freddy slowly but steadily moved up in limits at the poker tables until he was playing in high stakes games. Despite his success, he kept his career a secret from many who knew him and claimed to be an investor, as poker was considered gambling and frowned upon by many. But through years of studying the game through constant play, he grew to become one of the most respected players in the game. By the late 1980’s, he was also dabbling in tournament poker and cashed in his first tournament in 1989 – a seven-card stud event in Los Angeles where he claimed second place for more than $36,000. The following year was when he showed the poker world his capabilities, not to mention his game versatility, when he took second place in the World Series of Poker $2,500 no-limit hold’em event and claimed the $130,000 prize.

To date, Freddy has had countless final tables, tournament wins, and memorable finishes to his credit, all in addition to his years of success in cash games. He has 23 WSOP cashes and won his first WSOP bracelet in 1996 in deuce-to-seven draw. His second bracelet came in the 2007 WSOP with his victory in the prestigious $50,000 HORSE event where the first prize was over $2.2 million. He also has six WPT cashes to his name, two of them being final tables and another being a victory at the 2005 Ultimate Poker Classic in Aruba where he won $1 million. His reputation as a top-notch all-around poker player is solidified by the accumulation of more than $5.5 million in tournament winnings on record. He is now proud to declare himself a professional poker player, and he enjoys his life in this capacity.