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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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!
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.
PokerNews Prizes
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!
As Week 3 of the 2025 PokerNews Deepstack Challenge nears its conclusion, the penultimate day delivered some standout stories, including two female champions rising to the top of their respective fields.
With just one day remaining to secure leaderboard points and chase a $600 Championship seat, Sunday’s action saw Rebecca Trianosky, Amanda Soscia, and Dominique Terzian claim victories across three deepstack tiers.
$250 Daily Deepstack
Sunday’s $250 Deepstack drew 485 entries and built a $99,000 prize pool, and it was 61-year-old Rebecca Trianosky who emerged victorious for a career-best $17,435.
The medical director from Greenville, Tennessee, recorded her first ever live tournament win, and her largest cash to date. Trianosky appears to be a new presence on the circuit, with this marking her eighth career result in just over a year. She defeated Jeffrey Copeland heads-up, while Stephen Bourdon (3rd – $8,494) and Ying Fu (4th – $6,095) rounded out the final four.
Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Rebecca Trianosky
$17,435
2
Jeffrey Copeland
$12,052
3
Stephen Bourdon
$8,494
4
Ying Fu
$6,095
5
Jeffrey Davis
$4,454
6
Paolo Carinci
$3,316
7
Jermaine Pearson
$2,516
8
Osvaldo Cruz
$1,947
9
Joseph Shammas
$1,536
$400 Daily Deepstack
In the $400 tier, Amanda Soscia of Tampa, Florida, picked up her first PNDC title by taking down a 225-entry field for $16,342. The 24-year-old marketing professional has been quietly building a poker résumé, having already cashed in this year’s WSOP Colossus.
All five of her recorded results have come since April 20, 2025, and this latest victory now stands as her biggest to date. Soscia overcame Adel Kabbani (2nd – $10,926) in the final duel, while Joshua Weiss (3rd – $7,503) and David Vernikov (4th – $5,290) made deep runs.
Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Amanda Soscia
$16,342
2
Adel Kabbani
$10,926
3
Joshua Weiss
$7,503
4
David Vernikov
$5,290
5
Richard Gohier
$3,832
6
Herbert Hinterndorfer
$2,855
7
Jason Rutherford
$2,189
8
Dante Magtoto
$1,728
9
Nan Min
$1,407
$200 Daily Deepstack
Dominique Terzian
The $200 Daily attracted a hefty 495-player field, generating a prize pool of $44,175. Frenchman Dominique Terzian topped them all to win $9,119, his biggest result since finishing 15th in the 2024 WSOP Super Seniors Championship for $18,077.
The 61-year-old real estate professional now boasts over $1.2 million in career earnings, with this win adding yet another notch to his extensive tournament history. Terzian held off Johnny Oshana (2nd – $6,133) and Mathew Willows (3rd – $4,236) to claim the top prize in what was a globally diverse final table.
The third week of the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge is set for a dramatic conclusion, with the leaderboard wide open heading into Monday’s final trio of tournaments. With 8,485 entries already recorded and $1,725,040 in total prize pools — including $304,281 awarded to winners — Week 3 is on track to become the most attended and lucrative week of the series so far.
At the top of the current standings is Amanda Soscia, who leads with 1,093 points following a standout week that includes four total cashes, a win in the $400 event on Sunday, and another final table appearance. The 24-year-old Florida marketing professional only recorded her first cash in April but has quickly become a force in the PNDC series.
Just behind her is Dominique Terzian on 1,066 points. The 61-year-old Frenchman, who works in real estate, also found the winner’s circle this week in the $200 event and previously notched a third-place finish and a third deep run — all of which have kept him within striking distance of the top spot.
Rounding out the top five are Dong Jun Ji (850), who earned his first win in three years in Wednesday’s $250; Jeffrey Eisenbeis (819), the $250 winner on Saturday; and Conrad Co (810), who topped Friday’s 931-entry $250 event.
Joshua Feiger (796), Simon Fowler (793), Arash Asadabadi (775), Rebecca Trianosky (749), and David Maerten (737) remain in contention as well. Maerten currently occupies the final qualifying position for a seat in the $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship, but several players sit just a single cash away from overtaking him.
With three events left to play today — one at each of the $250, $400, and $200 buy-in levels — there’s still time for a shakeup at the top. Monday, June 16, is the final chance for players to lock up leaderboard points and punch their ticket to the PNDC Championship.
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!
At PokerNews, we're committed to promoting responsible gaming. We encourage all our readers to play responsibly and within their means. Visit our dedicated safer gaming hub for more information about safe and responsible gaming.
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.
