2025 WSOP PokerNews Deepstack Challenge

The cards are nearly the air, and the race is just about to start.

Back for its second year, the PokerNews Daily Deepstack Challenge returns to the World Series of Poker with even more prizes, prestige, and bragging rights on the line.

Running May 27 through June 30, this special leaderboard competition gives grinders a shot at glory simply by showing up and showing out in the daily $200, $250, or $400 Deepstack tournaments at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.

🏆 Rack Up Points, Win Your Seat

Each Deepstack tournament you play earns you points, and points mean prizes. Every week, the top 10 players on the leaderboard will score a free seat to the $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship, set to take place later this summer.

Whether you’re a Vegas local, a bracelet hopeful, or just love the Deepstack grind, this is your chance to win your way into a PokerNews-branded WSOP event while picking up some extra swag and recognition along the way.

🎯 Track Your Progress Every Step of the Way

Check the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge hub for weekly updates, leaderboard standings, and winner shoutouts. We’ll be spotlighting the grinders, celebrating the heroes, and keeping the competition fierce.

Card Protectors, Collectibles & More

There’s more than just leaderboard points up for grabs. Make the final table of a Deepstack tournament, and you’ll earn a limited edition PokerNews card protector to mark the moment. Win the whole thing, and your prize will be even sweeter, a champion’s edition card protector and some serious bragging rights.

PokerNews Deepstack Challenge Leaderboard Dates

Whether you're chasing a leaderboard run or just here for the daily action, the PokerNews Daily Deepstack Challenge adds another layer to the WSOP grind. Play hard, run good, and maybe we’ll be shouting your name next.

Last year’s PokerNews Daily DeepStacks and PokerNews Deepstack Challenge delivered accessible buy-ins, packed fields, and prize pools that punch well above their weight. Across 84 events held over four weeks in May and June 2024, the series drew nearly 32,000 entries and awarded more than $6.9 million in prize money.

Designed with the everyday player in mind, the series proved that you don’t need to break the bank to play for meaningful prizes. With buy-ins of $200, $250, and $400, the DeepStacks created opportunities for players of all levels to chase trophies, climb leaderboards, and earn some serious cash.

Highlights from 2024

The biggest single payday came on June 3, when Jesse Gardner topped a 1,030-entry $250 NLH event for $29,557. That same day, Russell Brooks took home $22,644 after winning the $400 tournament.

Other major results included:

• Adel Jo – $29,183 in a 1,014-player $250 NLH (June 4)
• Silma Macalou – $29,339 in a 1,019-player $250 NLH (June 21)
• Matan Barkat – $28,880 in a 998-player $250 NLH (June 22)
• Raed Abualfilat – $27,118 in a 913-player $250 NLH (June 17)
• Furkan Beg – $27,357 in a 928-player $250 NLH (June 19)
• Chenbo Zhou – $26,491 in an 888-player $400 NLH (June 20)

Even at the lower end of the buy-in range, big scores were possible. Crystal Galyon won $18,365 in a $200 event that drew 737 players—the largest top prize in that tier.

Players Who Stood Out

A handful of players grabbed headlines by winning multiple events. Raymond Chiu scored back-to-back victories in $400 events on May 31 and June 1, banking over $30,000 in the span of 48 hours. Duy Ho also made a splash, winning a $200 and a $250 event on consecutive days (June 7–8).

Familiar names like Srikanth Alajangi,Georgios Skarparis, and Kenny Hsiung also found success, each capturing a $250 title and adding to the series’ competitive depth.

Why It Matters

The PokerNews Daily DeepStacks have built their following by offering a format that works. The structures are solid, the buy-ins are reasonable, and the prize pools consistently deliver. For many players, it’s the ideal place to put in volume or make a first run at live tournament success.

What’s Next: PNDC 2025

Looking ahead to this year’s edition, the 2025 PNDC is expanding in more ways than one. The Daily DeepStacks leaderboard competition—a highlight for grinders chasing added value—will now award 50 seats instead of 40, giving even more players a chance to earn their way into marquee PNDC events.

The race will also stretch an extra week, giving players more time to build momentum and climb the standings.

Whether you’re chasing leaderboard points, hunting for a trophy, or just looking for a well-run daily tournament with meaningful upside, the 2025 Daily DeepStacks are poised to deliver another month of standout poker.

This summer at the WSOP, the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge gives everyday grinders a chance to shine. Play well in the daily $200, $250, $400 Deepstack events, rack up leaderboard points, and you could win a free seat to the $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship.

Last year, eight leaderboard qualifiers made it count, not only earning their way into the Championship, but cashing in it too.

From first-timers to bracelet winners, here’s a look at the players who turned a daily grind into a WSOP payday.

Raymond Chiu

• Finished 254th for $1,743
• Topped the Week 1 leaderboard

Chiu came out swinging, winning back-to-back daily Deepstacks and rode that momentum into the Championship. He was the first qualifier to lock up a seat and one of the first to cash.

William Plitz

• Finished 142nd for $2,458
• Week 1 – 2nd place on the leaderboard

Plitz’s run started with a win in the May 30 daily, which also happened to be his biggest live score ever ($6,475). He backed it up with another deep run in the Championship. Safe to say he made the most of the PNDC.

Georgios Skarparis

• Finished 468th for $1,261
• Week 1 – 9th on the leaderboard

With $1.45 million in live earnings and a WSOP Mini Main title to his name, Skarparis is no stranger to success. Even with all that experience, he still came out for the daily Deepstacks and cashed again in the Championship.

Kenny Hsiung

• Finished 71st for $4,432
• Week 3 – 6th place

Hsiung, who won a WSOP bracelet in 2012, proved he’s still got the chops. He was the highest-finishing leaderboard qualifier in the Championship.

Michael Lin

• Finished 673rd for $1,201
• Week 3 – 10th on the leaderboard

Lin made the final table of the 2022 Deepstack Championship, and while this year’s run didn’t go quite as far, he still bagged another cash. A quiet, consistent presence on the felt.

Artur Stepanyan

• Finished 289th for $1,743
• Week 4 – 8th place

A breakout moment for Stepanyan, who turned a top-10 finish in Week 4 into a solid run in the Championship. It was only his second ever WSOP cash, not bad for someone still early in their WSOP journey.

Michael Beattie

• Finished 224th for $1,936
• Week 4 – 9th place

Beattie has over $300K in live earnings and knows how to find a payday. He added another cash prize to the pile from the PokerNews Deepstack Championship.

Hsing-Hsiung Tai

• Finished 464th for $1,261
• Week 4 – 10th place

No big headlines or flashy scores, just a solid grind from Tai, who turned his final qualifying spot into a Championship cash.

Get ready for some extra excitement leading up to the PokerNews DeepStack Championship with the PokerNews Daily Deepstack Challenge! Running from May 27 to June 30, this weekly leaderboard promotion rewards players participating in the daily $200, $250, or $400 deepstack tournaments at the WSOP. Rack up points with each game, because points mean prizes!

Every week, the top 10 point earners will win complimentary seats to the $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship.

Stay updated and motivated with PokerNews' dedicated hub page for the Daily Deepstacks. Here, we'll highlight all the winners, provide regular leaderboard updates, and ensure every player's journey and achievements are recognized and celebrated.

There's also some cool memorabilia up for grabs for our Deepstack final tablists and winners. Make it to the final table, and you'll receive a special edition card protector. Deepstack winners will get a unique card protector, marking them as champions.

Join the fun, climb the leaderboard, and earn your bragging rights in the PokerNews Daily Deepstack Challenge!

PokerNews Deepstack Challenge Leaderboard Dates

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

Adauto Viana Junior topped a 50-entry field in May 27's $400 Daily Deepstack, earning $5,414 and his first recorded tournament victory. The Brazilian player’s win in Monday’s 4 p.m. event brings his live tournament earnings to just under $60,000, with this result marking his second-largest career cash.

The event generated a $17,550 prize pool, with the top eight players making the money and a $851 minimum payout.

Viana Junior’s win improves on his previous best finish at the WSOP, a fourth-place result in last year's $250 Seniors Deepstack (50+). He defeated Mark Lacoste (2nd – $3,369) and James Shibley (3rd – $2,232) to close out the final table.

Final Table Payouts

The opening day of the 2025 PokerNews Deepstack Challenge has now wrapped up, with the third and final Daily Deepstack ending in the early hours of Wednesday. The $200 edition drew a 133-entry field and generated a $22,411 prize pool.

Standing tall at the end of it all was Jeremy Calverley, who took home $5,288 and the final WSOP Daily Deepstack winner's coin of the day. For the 44-year-old tattoo artist from Burnsville, Minnesota, this marks his 14th recorded tournament win, pushing his live earnings past the $230,000 mark.

Also making headlines at the final table was Women in Poker Hall of Famer JJ Liu, who put in an impressive performance en route to a fifth-place finish.

Final Table Payouts

The afternoon action at the 2025 PNDC rolled on with the $400 Daily Deepstack, drawing a 122-entry field and generating a healthy $42,822 prize pool. A total of 19 players made the money, with a min-cash worth $806.

At the end of the one-day tournament, it was Koveh Waysei who walked away with the top prize of $10,462, adding a fresh line to his growing poker résumé. With this win, Waysei now sits at $385K in recorded live tournament earnings.

The American is no stranger to the WSOP stage, he notably finished 123rd in the 2023 WSOP Main Event.

Final Table Payouts

After a field of 146 players was whittled down across several fast-paced hours of play, just nine contenders remain in the $200 Daily Deepstack, all eyeing the lion’s share of a $24,601 prize pool.

At the top of the payout ladder is a $5,643 top prize, but all nine finalists are now guaranteed at least $497. With the blinds and antes putting pressure on short stacks, expect early fireworks as players jostle for ladder spots.

Here's a look at the nine players still in contention:

• Richard Williams Jnr 🇺🇸
• Jose Garcia Gonzalez 🇲🇽
• Oscar Quezada 🇺🇸
• MortonKoopa 🇺🇸
• Lewis Christensen 🇺🇸
• Titus Balliett 🇺🇸
• Dustin Bryan 🇺🇸
• Dhananjay Bhor 🇺🇸
• Teppei Ishizaki 🇯🇵

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