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2025 WSOP PokerNews Deepstack Challenge
PNDC Updates
Week: 2
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Get ready for some poker action! The second Daily Deepstack of the day shuffles up and deals at 4 p.m. This single-day extravaganza comes with a $400 buy-in, giving you a hefty 30,000 starting stack to play with.
Feeling adventurous? Late registration is open until the start of Level 9, around 7:35 p.m., and you can reenter as many times as you like. Each level is a quick 20 minutes, with plenty of 15- and 20-minute breaks to catch your breath and strategize.
Blinds kick off at 100/100, and the big blind ante is in play from the get-go.
| Level | BB Ante | Blinds | Breaks & Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 100-100 | |
| 2 | 200 | 100-200 | |
| 3 | 300 | 200-300 | |
| 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 | Break (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 | Break (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 |
With Week 2 of the 2025 PokerNews Deepstack Challenge nearing its conclusion, three more players secured tournament victories on Sunday, June 8. A combined 1,744 entries across the $250, $400, and $200 events generated $366,595 in prize money, with Dannette Mason, Konstantinos Tzinis, and Rodrigo Aldorino claiming the day's top prizes.
$250 Daily Deepstack
The $250 Daily Deepstack produced the single-largest turnout of Week 2 so far, with 1,105 entries building a $221,000 prize pool. Dannette Mason, who had nearly $46,000 in live earnings beforehand, rose above a field that paid 166 spots, ultimately banking $31,173.
Mason, whose previous best score was $8,332, nearly quadrupled that figure after a final table that included Kyler Scheriger (2nd - $22,031) and Charles Varner (3rd - $15,833). With their victory, she not only became one of the top single-event earners of Week 2, but also put herself in strong contention for leaderboard points heading into the final stretch.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dannette Mason | $31,173 |
| 2 | Kyler Scheriger | $22,031 |
| 3 | Charles Varner | $15,833 |
| 4 | Kory Kallenbach | $11,537 |
| 5 | Chet Sickle | $8,525 |
| 6 | Rafi Alfi | $6,389 |
| 7 | Scott Sundheim | $4,858 |
| 8 | Peter Jankowski | $3,748 |
| 9 | John Duong | $2,935 |
$400 Daily Deepstack
In the $400 event, Konstantinos Tzinis of Greece came out on top of a 266-entry field to win $18,447 from a $87,780 prize pool. The 40 paid places were led by Tzinis, who is no stranger to deep runs, including a 52nd-place finish in the WSOP Monster Stack last year.
The final table featured several solid performances, with Steven Snyder taking second for $12,508 and Joni Yosypiw rounding out the podium for $8,695. The victory adds to Tzinis’ already strong live resume, which includes over $194,000 in earnings and a personal-best result of $25,355.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Konstantinos Tzinis | $13,884 |
| 2 | Steven Snyder | $9,133 |
| 3 | Joni Yosypiw | $6,198 |
| 4 | Seymour Savelloni | $4,338 |
| 5 | Oscar Avellaneda | $3,134 |
| 6 | Aaron Vaughan | $2,340 |
| 7 | Jong Lim | $1,807 |
| 8 | Shawn Quinn | $1,445 |
| 9 | Pierluigi Scattarelli | $1,199 |
$200 Daily Deepstack
In the $200 Daily Deepstack, Rodrigo Aldorino of Argentina topped a field of 373 entries to win $11,068 from a $57,815 prize pool. The event paid 56 spots, and Aldorino added to his career earnings of $53,826, continuing a solid 2025 campaign that includes multiple cashes.
It was a closely contested final table, with Brady Eastom finishing runner-up for $7,562 and Jordan Eberts taking third for $5,283. Aldorino’s result is now one of the largest $200 victories of the PNDC series to date.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rodrigo Aldorino | $11,068 |
| 2 | Brady Eastom | $7,562 |
| 3 | Jordan Eberts | $5,283 |
| 4 | Evan Kitagawa | $3,766 |
| 5 | Graeme Maguire | $2,740 |
| 6 | David Hoffman | $2,036 |
| 7 | Sean Barr | $1,545 |
| 8 | Dalibor Dula | $1,199 |
| 9 | Joseph Leighton | $951 |
Before the 2025 World Series of Poker started, Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz were joined by Joey Ingram and Christina Gollins on the PokerNews Podcast to host the show's first-ever Fantasy Draft!
After reviewing the scoring system and choosing team names, a draft was conducted and the stakes were set. The owner of the worst team will buy the winning three teams a nice Las Vegas dinner. Plus, fans can choose which team they're rooting for, and if that team wins, they'll be entered into a random giveaway.
Who was drafted early? Who was put on the bench? And who wasn't drafted at all?
Find out in this episode of the PokerNews Podcast:
Ready to show off your skills and compete for amazing prizes? The PokerNews Daily Deepstack Challenge is here from May 28 to June 24, and it’s your time to shine! Play in daily WSOP deep stack tournaments, earn points, and score fantastic rewards—including seats to the $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship and some cool memorabilia.
Want to see how you’re doing? Track your progress, check out the latest standings, and get all the updates on our leaderboard page. Click the link below to dive into the action!
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.
