Week 1 of PNDC Closes Out w/ Three New Champs
Monday, June 2 marked the final day of Week 1 in the 2025 PokerNews Deepstack Challenge, and players turned out in force. Across three events, over 1,950 entries were recorded, more than $420,000 in prize money was distributed, and three new champions walked away with the biggest scores of their careers.
$250 Daily Deepstack — 1,222 Entries | $244,000 Prize Pool
The biggest field of the week came in Monday’s $250 Daily Deepstack, as 1,222 entries packed the tournament area to generate a $244,000 prize pool, with 185 players finishing in the money.
Emerging on top was Jack Kizilarslan, a 40-year-old restaurant owner and part-time poker pro, who earned $33,475 for the win, smashing his previous career-best score. Kizilarslan entered the day with just $9,087 in recorded live earnings, making this a major breakthrough.
$250 Deepstack Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Kizilarslan | $33,475 |
| 2 | Darrell Schauermann | $23,787 |
| 3 | Charles Deatherage | $17,168 |
| 4 | Estevan Ramos | $12,554 |
| 5 | Robert Matos | $9,302 |
| 6 | Truong Nguyen | $6,986 |
| 7 | Michael Moran | $5,319 |
| 8 | Alan Clunie | $4,105 |
| 9 | Ronald Hill | $3,213 |
$400 Daily Deepstack — 362 Entries | $119,460 Prize Pool
The $400 edition drew another healthy turnout with 362 entries and a $119,460 prize pool. The win went to Lucas Jumalon, a 21-year-old student who earned $22,945, more than eclipsing his previous best live score of $12,620.
$400 Deepstack Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucas Jumalon | $22,945 |
| 2 | Maxim Urvantsev | $15,936 |
| 3 | Keegan Daley | $11,269 |
| 4 | Prasad Vemulapalli | $8,108 |
| 5 | Katayon Khaterzai | $5,937 |
| 6 | Nicholas Burnett | $4,427 |
| 7 | Selby Gassner | $3,362 |
| 8 | David Wintersberger | $2,601 |
| 9 | Michael Brooks | $2,050 |
$200 Daily Deepstack — 371 Entries | $57,505 Prize Pool
Germany’s Marc Doring, 31, took down the final $200 event of Week 1, defeating a 371-entry field for $11,009. It’s Doring’s first known U.S. tournament win and a strong start to his summer campaign.
$200 Deepstack Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Doring | $11,009 |
| 2 | David Holmes | $7,521 |
| 3 | Austin Currington | $5,254 |
| 4 | Troy Tobin | $3,745 |
| 5 | Joseph Butler | $2,725 |
| 6 | Marc Deldonna | $2,025 |
| 7 | Andrew Lorig | $1,537 |
| 8 | Sagar Khatri | $1,193 |
| 9 | William Murray | $946 |