France’s Dylan Mendes Wins $250 Deepstack on Busy Sunday at the PNDC
With Week 1 of the 2025 PokerNews Deepstack Challenge nearing its conclusion, Sunday’s $250 Daily Deepstack delivered one of the most well-attended events of the series so far. A total of 740 players entered the tournament, generating a $148,000 prize pool, with 111 players finishing in the money and a $504 min-cash.
The title went to Dylan Mendes, a 28-year-old player from France, who collected $23,338, nearly tripling his previous career-best score of $8,240. Coming into the event, Mendes had $31,790 in recorded live earnings, making this result a significant milestone.
Several familiar names made deep runs. James Derosa, who won a $250 Deepstack earlier in the series, added more PNDC leaderboard points with a seventh-place finish, earning $3,454. Koveh Waysei, champion of the May 28 $400 Deepstack, also cashed, finishing 85th to lock up another PNDC result.
The field also featured Maurice Hawkins (pictured), joint all-time WSOP Circuit ring leader (19), who placed 18th for $955.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dylan Mendes | $23,338 |
| 2 | Aaron Hill | $16,276 |
| 3 | Yuan Yu | $11,552 |
| 4 | James Brandley | $8,332 |
| 5 | Frank Kissick | $6,109 |
| 6 | Luke Nishihara | $4,555 |
| 7 | James Derosa | $3,454 |
| 8 | David Belasco | $2,665 |
| 9 | Gregory Higginbotham | $2,093 |