2025 WSOP PokerNews Deepstack Challenge
PNDC Updates
Week: 2
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Wrap up your day with some thrilling poker action! The final Daily Deepstack of the day kicks off at 8 p.m. as a single-day showdown. With a $200 buy-in, you'll start with a 20,000 stack of chips.
For those who like to make a dramatic entrance, late registration is open until the start of Level 6 (approx 10:20 p.m.), and you can reenter as many times as you want until then. Each level lasts 20 minutes, with plenty of 15-minute breaks throughout the evening.
Blinds start at 100/100, and the big blind ante is in play right from the start. If this event runs long, the tournament director reserves the right to suspend play and resume the following day.
| Level | BB Ante | Blinds | Breaks / Chip Removals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 100-100 | |
| 2 | 200 | 100-200 | |
| 3 | 300 | 100-300 | |
| 4 | 400 | 200-400 | |
| 5 | 600 | 300-600 | |
| 6 | 800 | 400-800 | Remove 100 Chips (20 Minute Break) |
| 7 | 1,000 | 500-1,000 | |
| 8 | 1,500 | 1,000-1,500 | |
| 9 | 2,000 | 1,000-2,000 | Remove 500 Chips (15 Minute Break) (Reg. ends) |
| 10 | 3,000 | 2,000-3,000 | |
| 11 | 4,000 | 2,000-4,000 | |
| 12 | 6,000 | 3,000-6,000 | |
| 13 | 8,000 | 4,000-8,000 | |
| 14 | 10,000 | 5,000-10,000 | |
| 15 | 16,000 | 8,000-16,000 | |
| 16 | 20,000 | 10,000-20,000 | Remove 1,000 Chips (15 Minute Break) |
| 17 | 30,000 | 15,000-30,000 | |
| 18 | 40,000 | 20,000-40,000 | |
| 19 | 60,000 | 30,000-60,000 | |
| 20 | 80,000 | 40,000-80,000 | |
| 21 | 100,000 | 50,000-100,000 | |
| 22 | 150,000 | 100,000-150,000 | 15 Minute Break |
| 23 | 200,000 | 100,000-200,000 | |
| 24 | 300,000 | 150,000-300,000 | |
| 25 | 400,000 | 200,000-400,000 | |
| 26 | 600,000 | 300,000-600,000 | |
| 27 | 800,000 | 400,000-800,000 | |
| 28 | 1,000,000 | 500,000-1,000,000 | 15 Minute Break |
| 29 | 1,500,000 | 1,000,000-1,500,000 | |
| 30 | 2,000,000 | 1,000,000-2,000,000 | |
| 31 | 3,000,000 | 1,500,000-3,000,000 | |
| 32 | 5,000,000 | 2,000,000-5,000,000 | |
| 33 | 6,000,000 | 3,000,000-6,000,000 | |
| 34 | 8,000,000 | 4,000,000-8,000,000 |
The PokerNews DeepStack Championship returns to the World Series of Poker from July 1–4 at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
If you’re dreaming of winning a WSOP bracelet without a five-figure bankroll, this is your shot. The $600 buy-in event offers a deep 30,000-chip starting stack, a Main Event-style structure, and one re-entry. Day 1 levels are 40 minutes; Days 2–4 move to 60 minutes.
Last year’s event saw 5,110 entries and a $2.6 million prize pool. Hector Berry won the bracelet and $282,876.
Register in person at the WSOP main registration area or skip the lines with the WSOP+ app.
Want to win a seat? Enter the daily $200/$250/$400 DeepStacks between May 27 and June 30. The PokerNews DeepStack Challenge leaderboard awards 10 seats each week—50 in total.
View the full blind structure here.
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.
Three more events played out on Friday, June 6, at the 2025 PokerNews Deepstack Challenge, as Week 2 continued at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. The $200, $250, and $400 Daily Deepstacks drew a combined 981 entries, generating over $202,000 in prize pools.
The day produced three new winners: Michael Meza, John Howe, and Christopher Dixon, each securing their first PNDC victories.
$250 Daily Deepstack
Michael Meza, a 35-year-old truck driver from Beaumont, California, topped a field of 548 entries to claim $18,789, his largest live tournament cash to date. The $250 event generated a $109,600 prize pool, with 83 players finishing in the money.
Meza defeated Randall Paguio heads-up for the title, while Michael Holmes rounded out the top three.
Final Table Results – $250 Deepstack
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Meza | $18,789 |
| 2 | Randall Paguio | $12,962 |
| 3 | Michael Holmes | $9,130 |
| 4 | David Brown | $6,548 |
| 5 | Christopher Garner | $4,782 |
| 6 | Vu Do | $3,558 |
| 7 | Krishna Kalidas | $2,698 |
| 8 | Hector Galvan | $2,086 |
| 9 | Sebastian Stosch | $1,645 |
$400 Daily Deepstack
In the $400 event, John Howe, a 38-year-old general manager from Danville, California, overcame a field of 149 entries to earn $12,105. The prize pool totaled $49,170, with 23 players making the money.
Kelly Andrews finished second for $7,835, and Gerald David took third for $5,255.
Final Table Results – $400 Deepstack
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Howe | $12,105 |
| 2 | Kelly Andrews | $7,835 |
| 3 | Gerald David | $5,255 |
| 4 | Antal Roth | $3,652 |
| 5 | Andrew Nemeth | $2,632 |
| 6 | Rodrigo Gurgel | $1,971 |
| 7 | Jeffrey Klimala | $1,536 |
| 8 | Rian Valenti | $1,247 |
| 9 | Spencer Sanchez | $1,057 |
$200 Daily Deepstack
Christopher Dixon, a 52-year-old American player, took down the $200 event for $9,073, topping a field of 284 entries. The prize pool reached $44,020, with 45 players paid.
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christopher Dixon | $9,073 |
| 2 | Michael Hong | $6,112 |
| 3 | Mychajlo Semianczuk | $4,221 |
| 4 | Stacey Diederich | $2,985 |
| 5 | Nicholas Carmichael | $2,163 |
| 6 | Andre Tassinari | $1,606 |
| 7 | Elias Correa | $1,223 |
| 8 | Orlando Romero | $957 |
| 9 | Steve Coulombe | $768 |
| Date | Buy-in | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, June 3 | $250 | 961 | $192,200 | Atsushi Mineki | $28,124 |
| Tue, June 3 | $400 | 265 | $87,450 | Ryan Flesch | $18,385 |
| Tue, June 3 | $200 | 298 | $46,190 | Eric Tibuni | $9,402 |
| Wed, June 4 | $250 | 540 | $116,100 | Kevin Iacofano | $18,629 |
| Wed, June 4 | $400 | 126 | $44,226 | Kyle Sullivan | $10,800 |
| Wed, June 4 | $200 | 219 | $43,800 | George Vigelette | $7,542 |
| Thu, June 5 | $250 | 512 | $102,400 | Hunter Cole | $17,921 |
| Thu, June 5 | $400 | 170 | $56,100 | Mark Lacoste | $13,327 |
| Thu, June 5 | $200 | 260 | $40,300 | Yen-Tuan Chen | $8,542 |
| Fri, June 6 | $250 | 548 | $109,600 | Michael Meza | $18,789 |
| Fri, June 6 | $400 | 149 | $49,170 | John Howe | $12,105 |
| Fri, June 6 | $200 | 284 | $44,020 | Christopher Dixon | $9,073 |
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
| Date | Week | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| May 27 - June 2 | 1 | 10 Seats to PokerNews Deepstack Championship |
| June 3-9 | 2 | 10 Seats to PokerNews Deepstack Championship |
| June 10-16 | 3 | 10 Seats to PokerNews Deepstack Championship |
| June 17-23 | 4 | 10 Seats to PokerNews Deepstack Championship |
| June 24-30 | 5 | 10 Seats to PokerNews Deepstack Championship |
