The first $250 Daily Deepstack of the 2025 PokerNews Deepstack Challenge lit up the tournament floor in Horseshoe, Las Vegas, on May 27, drawing 143 entries and generating a $30,745 prize pool.

After 11 hours of play, it was Mark Selley, a 35-year-old firefighter from the United Kingdom, who kept his nerve in the heat of battle and captured the title along with $7,126, which marks his biggest cash according to The Hendon Mob.

Selley, who’s more accustomed to battling blazes than final tables, earned the biggest payout of the day, with the triumph putting him in a strong early position on the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge leaderboard, where the top ten finishers by the end of the week will win seats to the $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship.

Selley wasn’t the only player to impress. Michael Moran fought valiantly heads-up before finishing second for $4,588, while Nir Azriel secured third place and a $3,065 payout. Together, the trio led the way in a well-attended opening event that set the tone for the Deepstack schedule ahead.

Final Table Payouts