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!
Calum GrantDaily DeepstacksWhat 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
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.
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.
Thursday was one of the busiest and most competitive days yet in Week 4 of the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge, with more than 1,900 entries and over $415,000 paid out across three events.
As the leaderboard battle tightens ahead of the weekend, several players made major moves with statement victories.
$250 Deepstack
Florida’s Brent Hoover came into the day with just over $138,000 in live earnings. He left the Horseshoe with a career-best score after taking down the $250 Deepstack for $35,158.
The 1,308-entry field was the second-largest of the week and packed with talent. Hoover outlasted the likes of Samuel Lee, who finished second for $25,015, and Cuong Tran, who took third for $18,076, to secure the win and boost his chances at a PokerNews Deepstack Championship seat.
Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Brent Hoover
$35,158
2
Samuel Lee
$25,015
3
Cuong Tran
$18,076
4
Keith Schiller
$13,232
5
Uri Yochelman
$9,813
6
John Gallaher
$7,374
7
Aaron Hendi
$5,616
8
Jason Hopkins
$4,336
9
Alexander Perez
$3,394
$400 Deepstack
Liviu Bartha
In the $400 event, Liviu-Rodrig Bartha delivered one of the most composed performances of the day. The 35-year-old Romanian, now living in London, earned $21,232 after navigating a 324-player field and a tricky final table that featured Israel Pantaleon and Stavros Petychakis.
It marks the third-biggest cash of Bartha’s career and adds to a growing résumé that includes a near-miss at WSOP Paradise last December, where he finished eighth in the Mini Main Event for $35,600.
Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Liviu-Rodrig Bartha
$21,232
2
Jeffrey Kauffman
$14,542
3
Israel Pantaleon
$10,176
4
Stavros Petychakis
$7,267
5
Micha Hoedemaker
$5,298
6
Gary Weeman
$3,946
7
Sanjeev Vora
$3,002
8
An Gei
$2,335
9
Moshe Gavrieli
$1,858
$200 Deepstack
Tomas Geleziunas
Closing out the night was Tomas Geleziunas, who added yet another trophy to his collection with a win in the $200 Deepstack. The 38-year-old Lithuanian, who lives in Ireland, pocketed $9,605 after topping a 306-entry field.
Geleziunas is no stranger to success, having won the European Deepstack Championship in both 2023 and 2024. Thursday’s victory was his first known score at this summer’s WSOP and could be the start of another deep run toward leaderboard contention.
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 Deepstack Coins
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!
