PNDC Updates Week 3 | 2025 WSOP PokerNews Deepstack Challenge

06-13-2025 16:30 UTC-8

Join the Fun: PokerNews Daily Deepstack Challenge Leaderboard

Calum Grant

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!

Check Out the Leaderboard Now!

06-13-2025 17:00 UTC-8

PokerNews Deepstack Championship FAQs

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Calum Grant

What is the buy-in for the PokerNews Deepstack Championship?

The buy-in for the PokerNews Deepstack Championship event at the 2025 WSOP is $600 - among one of the lowest buy-ins in the Series. We looked to give low-stakes grinders an opportunity to win their way to a coveted WSOP bracelet, and the $600 entry fee is both affordable and offers the chance to win big money from an expected large prize pool.

When is the PokerNews Deepstack Championship?

The PokerNews Deepstack Championship event will be held between July 1-4, 2025. It's the 78th event in the 2025 WSOP.

Where is the PokerNews Deepstack Championship?

The PokerNews Deepstack Championship will be held in a new, vibrant venue near the Horseshoe poker room, Las Vegas.

How Can I Play the PokerNews Deepstack Championship?

Like any other event at the Series, to play the PokerNews Deepstack Championship, simply register from one of the multiple registration desks at the venue.

What is the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge?

The PokerNews Daily Deepstack Challenge is a leaderboard promotion running from May 27 to June 30. Players participating in the daily $200, $250, or $400 deep stack tournaments at the WSOP will earn points. The top 10 point earners each week will receive complimentary seats for the $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship.

What is the leaderboard system?

The leaderboard system will follow the same formula used for the WSOP Player of the Year

06-13-2025 18:00 UTC-8

What's Your Favorite Daily Deepstack?

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Calum Grant

https://twitter.com/PokerNews/status/1803240391937806509

06-13-2025 18:30 UTC-8

Time for a Night Cap in the 8 p.m. $200 Daily Deepstack

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Calum Grant

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

06-13-2025 19:00 UTC-8

The $600 PokerNews DeepStack Championship Returns to the WSOP

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Calum Grant

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.

06-13-2025 21:00 UTC-8

Meet the PokerNews Deepstack Grinders Who Turned a Seat Into a Score

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Calum Grant

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.

06-14-2025 08:53 UTC-8

Midway Momentum: Co, Isaacs & Park Take Friday Deepstack Titles

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Calum Grant

The third week of the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge hit its midway point on Friday, as three more players collected daily event titles and boosted their points totals toward leaderboard contention.

A total of 1,425 entries across the $250, $400, and $200 buy-in tiers generated $303,720 in prize money, with Conrad Co, Scott Isaacs, and Jong Ju Park each emerging victorious.

$250 Deepstack

Las Vegas local Conrad Co topped a 931-entry field in Friday’s $250 Daily Deepstack, walking away with $27,523, the largest score of his live career. The 40-year-old now has over $230,000 in total live earnings, with this victory marking the 26th time he's entered the winner's circle.

Co defeated Dustin An ($19,388) heads-up, while Jeison Berdugo Rojas (3rd - $13,883) rounded out the podium. The $186,200 prize pool paid 140 spots in total, and Co now jumps into potential leaderboard contention heading into the weekend

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Prize
1	Conrad Co	$27,523
2	Dustin An	$19,388
3	Jeison Berdugo Rojas	$13,883
4	Matthew Jewett	$10,085
5	Daniel Alexander Quesada	$7,435
6	Odean Hill	$5,563
7	Bradley Amico	$4,226
8	Brandon Cannady	$3,260
9	Manish Chaddha	$2,554

$400 Deepstack

Scott Isaacs, a 54-year-old retiree from the United States, made the most of Friday’s $400 Deepstack by collecting a career-best $16,710 for first place. Isaacs, who entered the event with just $9,413 in prior earnings, more than doubled his lifetime total after defeating Andres Abad Ampudia ($11,230) in the final heads-up battle.

The event drew 234 entries and generated $77,220 in prize money across 36 paid spots. Eight of the nine final tablists hailed from the United States, with only fourth-place finisher Nicholas Fellone (UK) representing international competition.

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Prize
1	Scott Isaacs	$16,710
2	Andres Abad Ampudia	$11,230
3	Trenton Dill	$7,738
4	Nicholas Fellone	$5,467
5	Joshua Welch	$3,964
6	Luis Alfonso	$2,951
7	John Kurfman	$2,258
8	Curtis Daye	$1,776
9	Miguel Torres	$1,438

$200 Deepstack

Final Table Results

Friday’s $200 Deepstack produced the most globally diverse final table of the day, as Jong Ju Park of South Korea overcame opponents from the U.S., Spain, Japan, and Argentina to capture the title. Park earned $8,543 from a $40,300 prize pool that paid 39 players.

The 48-year-old now has over $27,000 in total live earnings, with this win marking one of his largest career payouts. He defeated Christopher Young (2nd - $5,687), while Fernando Picazo (Spain), Katsuhiro Mori (Japan), and Ivan Torales (Argentina) added further international flair to the top five.

Place	Player	Prize
1	Jong Ju Park	$8,543
2	Christopher Young	$5,687
3	Fernando Picazo	$3,894
4	Katsuhiro Mori	$2,737
5	Ivan Fernand Torales	$1,977
6	Eric Sunde	$1,468
7	Charles Walters	$1,122
8	Isaac Martin	$883
9	Salina Littlefield	$717

06-14-2025 10:30 UTC-8

Play the PokerNews WSOP Daily Deepstacks

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Calum Grant

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

Points Calculator

06-14-2025 11:15 UTC-8

How to Find the PokerNews Daily Deepstacks

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Calum Grant

06-14-2025 11:30 UTC-8

$250 WSOP Daily Deepstack 1 p.m. Info and Structure

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Calum Grant

Kick off your day with some poker excitement! The opening Daily Deepstack of the day starts at 1 p.m. and promises a thrilling single-day event. With a $250 buy-in, you'll get a solid 25,000 starting stack to work with.

For the latecomers, late registration is open until the start of Level 9, and you can jump back in with unlimited reentries. Each level runs for 30 minutes, with 15-minute breaks sprinkled throughout the day, and a longer 30-minute break after Level 12 to recharge.

Blinds start at 100/100, with the big blind ante in play right from the start. Get ready to shuffle up and deal!

Level	BB Ante	Blinds	Breaks
1	100	100-100
2	200	100-200
3	300	200-300
4	400	200-400	15 Minute Break
5	600	300-600
6	800	400-800
7	1,000	500-1,000
8	1,200	600-1,200	Remove 100 Chips (20 Minute Break)
9	1,500	1,000-1,500
10	2,000	1,000-2,000
11	3,000	1,500-3,000
12	4,000	2,000-4,000	Remove 500 Chips (30 Minute Break)
13	6,000	3,000-6,000
14	8,000	4,000-8,000
15	10,000	5,000-10,000
16	16,000	8,000-16,000	Remove 1,000 Chips (15 Minute Break)
17	20,000	10,000-20,000
18	30,000	15,000-30,000
19	40,000	20,000-40,000
20	60,000	30,000-60,000	Break (15 Minute Break)
21	80,000	40,000-80,000
22	100,000	50,000-100,000
23	150,000	100,000-150,000
24	200,000	100,000-200,000	Break (15 Minute Break)
25	300,000	150,000-300,000
26	400,000	200,000-400,000
27	600,000	300,000-600,000
28	800,000	400,000-800,000	Break (15 Minute Break)
29	1,000,000	500,000-1,000,000
30	1,500,000	1,000,000-1,500,000
31	2,000,000	1,000,000-2,000,000
32	3,000,000	1,500,000-3,000,000