Engel, Sleeth & Seif Claim 2021 Venetian DeepStack Championship Titles
Table Of Contents
Since the beginning of May, Venetian Las Vegas has played host to the DeepStack Championship Poker Series, which will run through August 1 and offer more than $15 million in guaranteed prize pools.
Thus far through approximately 95 events in the 121-event series, over 30,000 entrants have participated and nearly $26 million in prize money has been awarded.
Among the highlights thus far were Chance Kornuth and Harlen Miller winning mid-six-figure prizes in a pair of MSPT Main Events; Sean Perry, Shawn Daniels, and Ali Imsirovic winning high roller titles, Chad Eveslage taking down the WPT Venetian for $910K, and side event wins by Jesse Lonis and Ashraf Chehata.
Below is a look at some other winners who’ve made headlines over the past couple of weeks.
Click here to view the entire Venetian DeepStack Championship schedule
Ari Engel Nabs Limit Omaha 8/B Title
On June 20, poker pro Ari Engel topped a 168-entry field to win Event #66: $600 Limit Omaha 8/B for $24,734.
The tournament offered up an $86,184 prize pool that was paid out to the top 18 players. Among those to cash but fall short of making the final table was Casey Hayes (16th - $1,207), Andrew Yeh (14th - $1,379), Cory Wilbur (11th - $1,551), and Christopher Castaneda (10th - $1,551).
Event #66 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ari Engel | Del Ray Beach, FL | $24,734 |
| 2 | Kathy Chang | Valencia, California | $15,513 |
| 3 | Benny Glaser | UK | $10,342 |
| 4 | Robert Campbell | Las Vegas, NV | $7,326 |
| 5 | John Emmons | Leander, TX | $5,171 |
| 6 | Alexader Christian | Oakland, CA | $3,620 |
| 7 | Mark Pharo | Birmingham, AL | $2,844 |
| 8 | Peter Levine | Las Vegas, NV | $2,327 |
| 9 | James Tinley | Sandy Springs, GA | $1,896 |
Mark Seif Claims Back-to-Back Titles
In late June, Event #78: $600 NLH MonsterStack attracted 358 runners, which surpassed the $100K guarantee by creating a $182,580 prize pool. Seif made his way to the final table and wound up besting Ryan Dodd in heads-up play to claim the title and $41,991. It marked the first major win for Seif in more than 15 years since he captured two gold bracelets at the 2005 World Series of Poker.
Then, on June 30, Event #81: $800 NLH Ultimate Stack wrapped up. The tournament had attracted a massive 1,811 entries and offered up a $1,249,590 prize pool. Some of the familiar names to make deep runs and cash were Joey Weissman (10th - $15,932), Corey Paggeot (18th - $11,621), Ryan Laplante (34th - $5,123), and Andy Frankenberger (35th - $5,123).
Seif once again found himself at the final table and he posted the following to social media:
“I’m trying to do something pretty similar to what I did 16 years ago. In June 2005, I was fortunate enough to win back-to-back World Series of Poker bracelets. There’s still a long way to go but if I win this event at the Venetian DeepStacks Championship Poker Series, I’ll have won bac- to-back DCPS titles as well. I received an email this morning from a poker historian that tells me no one has ever won back-to-back WSOP titles and back-to-back DCPS titles”
Well, Seif managed to make history as he once again closed it out, this time for a much heftier $193,416.
Event #81 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mark Seif | Henderson, NV | $193,416 |
| 2 | Ryan Hunsinger | Boulder City, NV | $124,959 |
| 3 | Andrew Kaplan | Del Ray Beach, FL | $93,719 |
| 4 | Joey Katzen | Santa Ana, CA | $69,977 |
| 5 | Robert Natividad | Riverside, CA | $53,732 |
| 6 | Jason Johnson | Waterford, MI | $41,236 |
| 7 | Conrad Simpson | Wilmington, NC | $32,489 |
| 8 | Bob Mather | Las Vegas, NV | $24,992 |
| 9 | Joseph Liberta | Berlin, NJ | $19,993 |
Ashley Sleeth Wins LIPS Ladies Event
In late June, the two-day Event #74: $500 NLH LIPS tournament played out. The ladies event attracted 110 runners and offered up a $47,300 prize pool to the top dozen players. Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Shannan Weeks, Jacqueline Pennington, and Lily Torrence, who finished 10th-12th respectively for $993 each.
The tournament came down to two well-known players in the community in Ruth Hall and Ashley Sleeth, the latter being the significant other of 2012 WSOP Main Event runner-up Jesse Sylvia. Sleeth ultimately prevailed and captured a $14,190 top prize.
Event #74 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashley Sleeth | Las Vegas, NV | $14,190 |
| 2 | Ruth Hall | Round Rock, TX | $8,798 |
| 3 | Michelle Reidy | Lake Forest, CA | $6,196 |
| 4 | Cindy Murabito | Cantreville, VA | $4,494 |
| 5 | Geneva Santiago | Pahrump, NV | $3,311 |
| 6 | Natalia Nogina | Canada | $2,554 |
| 7 | Roni Taylor | West Covina, CA | $1,987 |
| 8 | Sarah Lee | Honolulu, HI | $1,561 |
| 9 | Karen Robison | Dallas, TX | $1,230 |
DeepStack Championship Poker Series Winners
Here's a look at all those who've captured titles thus far:
| *Date | Tournament | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Hometown | Prize* | ||||||
| 5/3/21 | Event 1: $500 NLH Survivor | 68 | $29,580 | 7 winners | N/A | $4,300 | ||||||
| 5/3/21 | Event 2: $200 NLH Bounty | 87 | $13,920 | Oscar Tobar | San Francisco, CA | $2,379 | ||||||
| 5/4/21 | Event 3: $500 NLH Survivor | 50 | $21,750 | 6 winners | N/A | $4,300 | ||||||
| 5/4/21 | Event 4: $200 NLH Bounty | 87 | $13,290 | Kilo Krahn | Sandy, Utah | $2,678 | ||||||
| 5/5/21 | Event 5: $400 NLH Monster Stack | 122 | $40,870 | Virab Zakaryan | Las Vegas, NV | $10,252 | ||||||
| 5/5/21 | Event #6: $200 NLH Survivor | 96 | $15,360 | 9 winners | N/A | $1,600 | ||||||
| 5/8/21 | Event #7: $400 NLH $50K GTD | 690 | $229,770 | Austin Roberts | Monterery, California | $35,552 | ||||||
| 5/6/21 | Event #8: $200 NLH Survivor | 85 | $13,600 | 8 Winners | N/A | $1,600 | ||||||
| 5/9/21 | Event #9: $300 NLH Freeze Out | 135 | $33,075 | Kennii Nguyen | Las Vegas, NV | $6,786 | ||||||
| 5/11/21 | Event #10: $400 NLH | 543 | $180,819 | Ricardo Eyzaguirre | Las Vegas, NV | $29,277 | ||||||
| 5/10/21 | Event #11: $200 NLH Survivor | 89 | $14,240 | 11 winners | N/A | $1,295 | ||||||
| 5/12/21 | Event #12: $400 NLH | 204 | $68,340 | Christopher Marshall | Las Vegas, NV | $11,810 | ||||||
| 5/16/21 | Event #13: $600 NLH | 832 | $421,824 | Matthew Wantman | Stoneham, MA | $70,000 | ||||||
| 5/13/21 | Event #14: $200 NLH Survivor | 96 | $15,360 | 9 winners | N/A | $1,600 | ||||||
| 5/16/21 | Event #15: $300 NLH | 171 | $41,895 | Leo Creger | Mililani, HI | $6,686 | ||||||
| 5/20/21 | Event #16: $400 NLH | 739 | $243,870 | Dylan Wilkerson | Las Vegas, NV | $48,270 | ||||||
| 5/17/21 | Event #17: $200 NLH Survivor | 91 | $14,560 | 9 winners | N/A | $1,600 | ||||||
| 5/20/21 | Event #18: $400 NLH | 230 | $77,050 | Mehdi Saleh | Tempe, AZ | $12,647 | ||||||
| 5/22/21 | Event #19: $600 NLH | 646 | $326,230 | Jordan Cristos | Las Vegas, NV | $57,088 | ||||||
| 5/23/21 | Event #20: $400 NLH | 186 | $62,310 | Oleksandr Symonenko | Ukraine | $16,514 | ||||||
| 5/26/21 | Event #21: $400 NLH MonsterStack | 549 | $182,817 | Ross Ward | Charleston, SC | $31,073 | ||||||
| 5/24/21 | Event #22: $200 NLH Survivor | 110 | $17,600 | 11 winners | N/A | $1,600 | ||||||
| 5/26/21 | Event #23: $400 NLH MonsterStack | 186 | $62,310 | Justin Mevs | Seattle, WA | $8,485 | ||||||
| 5/29/21 | Event #24: $600 NLH | 867 | $437,835 | Tuan Mai | San Jose, CA | $75,000 | ||||||
| 5/27/21 | Event #25: $10,000 High Roller | 77 | $770,000 | Ali Imsirovic | Vancouver, WA | $200,200 | ||||||
| 5/27/21 | Event #26: $400 Limit Omaha 8/B | 92 | $31,280 | Khamar Xaythavone | West Valley, UT | $9,383 | ||||||
| 5/27/21 | Event #27: $300 NLH Bounty | 89 | $22,250 | Alan Sugano | Rancho Pals Verdes, CA | $3,573 | ||||||
| 5/28/21 | Event #28: $10,000 High Roller | 65 | $650,000 | Shawn Daniels | Henderson, NV | $175,500 | ||||||
| 5/28/21 | Event #29: $400 PLO | 69 | $23,460 | Nohad Teliani | Canada | $8,211 | ||||||
| 5/28/21 | Event #30: $300 NLH Bounty | 85 | $21,250 | Andrew Meyer | Manhattan, KS | $4,058 | ||||||
| 5/29/21 | Event #31: $25,000 High Roller | 43 | $1,075,000 | Sean Perry | Las Vegas, NV | $365,500 | ||||||
| 5/30/21 | Event #32: $500 PLO 8/B | 142 | $60,634 | David Brookshire | Chatsworth, CA | $16,977 | ||||||
| 5/29/21 | Event #33: $300 NLH Bounty | 96 | $24,000 | Kason Bradley | Portland, OR | $4,319 | ||||||
| 5/30/21 | Event #34: $600 NLH | 177 | $90,270 | Lawrence Engerman | Las Vegas, NV | $21,135 | ||||||
| 5/31/21 | Event #35: $400 NLH | 351 | $117,585 | Bejnamin Garrick | Gold Beach, OR | $22,745 | ||||||
| 5/31/21 | Event #36: $200 NLH Survivor | 183 | $29,280 | 18 winners | N/A | $1,600 | ||||||
| Event #37: Mega Satty | ||||||||||||
| 6/1/21 | Event #38: $600 NLH | 307 | $156,570 | Santiago Plante | Canada | $36,008 | ||||||
| 6/1/21 | Event #39: $300 NLH Survivor | 163 | $40,740 | 16 winners | N/A | $2,500 | ||||||
| Event #40: Mega Satty | ||||||||||||
| 6/5/21 | Event #41: $1,100 MSPT | 2,790 | $2,692,350 | Harlen Miller | Mandan, ND | $367,801 | ||||||
| 6/2/21 | Event #42: $300 NLH Survivor | 154 | $38,500 | 14 winners | N/A | $2,500 | ||||||
| 6/3/21 | Event #43: $300 NLH Survivor | 155 | $38,750 | 16 winners | N/A | $2,500 | ||||||
| 6/6/21 | Event #44: $1,100 NLH | 358 | $347,260 | Bronson Moses | Georgetown, TX | $79,867 | ||||||
| 6/8/21 | Event #45: $1,100 NLH | 676 | $648,960 | Michael Newman | Nanuet, NY | $120,000 | ||||||
| 6/7/21 | Event #46: $600 Big O | 162 | $83,106 | Robert Slagle | Sherman, TX | $22,026 | ||||||
| 6/7/21 | Event #47: $300 NLH Survivor | 177 | $44,250 | 17 winners | N/A | $2,500 | ||||||
| 6/8/21 | Event #48: $300 NLH Survivor | 159 | $39,750 | 16 winners | N/A | $2,500 | ||||||
| Event #49: Mega Satty | ||||||||||||
| 6/9/21 | Event #50: $600 NLH | 277 | $141,270 | Ye Ping Shan | Canada | $20,511 | ||||||
| 6/9/21 | Event #51: $400 NLH Survivor | 138 | $47,196 | 14 winners | N/A | $3,400 | ||||||
| Event #52: Mega Satty | ||||||||||||
| 6/12/21 | Event #53: $1,600 MSPT | 2,011 | $2,865,675 | Chance Kornuth | Las Vegas, NV | $412,086 | ||||||
| 6/10/21 | Event #54: $400 NLH Survivor | 149 | $50,958 | 14 winners | N/A | $3,400 | ||||||
| 6/11/21 | Event #55: $400 NLH Survivor | 164 | $56,088 | 16 | N/A | $3,400 | ||||||
| 6/13/21 | Event #56: $1,100 NLH | 330 | $320,100 | Matt Vaughan | Las Vegas, NV | $57,758 | ||||||
| 6/13/21 | Event #57: $300 NLH Survivor | 104 | $26,000 | 10 Winners | N/A | $2,500 | ||||||
| 6/15/21 | Event #58: $1,100 NLH | 637 | $611,520 | Andrew Moreno | San Diego, CA | $127,740 | ||||||
| 6/14/21 | Event #59: $300 NLH Survivor | 129 | $32,250 | 12 Winners | N/A | $2,500 | ||||||
| 6/15/21 | Event #60: $300 NLH Bounty | 134 | $33,500 | Ronald West | Los Angeles, CA | $4,912 | ||||||
| 6/16/21 | Event #61: $600 NLH | 258 | $131,580 | Darius Studdard | Medford, NY | $32,299 | ||||||
| 6/16/21 | Event #62: $300 NLH Bounty | 101 | $25,250 | Marinko Milicevic | Baraboo, WI | $4,545 | ||||||
| 6/18/21 | Event #63: $400 NLH | 1,013 | $337,329 | David Yokoyama | Henderson, NV | $59,395 | ||||||
| 6/17/21 | Event #64: $600 PLO 8/B | 84 | $43,260 | Cornelio McLean | Tacoma, WA | $13,844 | ||||||
| 6/17/21 | Event #65: $300 NLH Bounty | 81 | $20,250 | Venerando Villarino | Las Vegas, NV | $3,887 | ||||||
| 6/20/21 | Event #66: $600 Limit Omaha 8/B | 168 | $86,184 | Ari Engel | Del Ray Beach, FL | $24,734 | ||||||
| 6/19/21 | Event #67: $600 NLH | 344 | $175,440 | Kim Bassett | Indianapolis, IN | $34,000 | ||||||
| 6/21/21 | Event #68: $800 NLH Seniors | 634 | $438,728 | Scott Roberts | Marietta, GA | $63,287 | ||||||
| 6/20/21 | Event #69: $400 NLH Bounty | 112 | $38,304 | Gordon Hamilton | League City, TX | $4,240 | ||||||
| 6/21/21 | Event #70: $400 NLH Bounty | 114 | $38,988 | Kevin Theodore | Seattle, WA | $8,278 | ||||||
| 6/25/21 | Event #71: $600 NLH | 1,526 | $770,630 | Michael Thach | Las Vegas, NV | $112,481 | ||||||
| 6/23/21 | Event #72: $500 PLO | 158 | $67,466 | Jason Fitzpatrick | Houston, TX | $19,363 | ||||||
| 6/24/21 | Event #73: $400 NLH Survivor | 104 | $35,568 | 11 Winners | N/A | $3,400 | ||||||
| 6/25/21 | Event #74: $500 LIPS Ladies | 110 | $47,300 | Ashley Sleeth | Las Vegas, NV | $14,190 | ||||||
| 6/25/21 | Event #75: $600 PLO Bounty | 124 | $63,860 | Andrew Donabedian | Las Vegas, NV | $11,046 | ||||||
| 6/26/21 | Event #76: $600 NLH | 514 | $262,140 | Samy Dighlawi | Temecula, CA | $37,874 | ||||||
| 6/26/21 | Event #77: $200 NLH Survivor | 83 | $28,386 | Dee Witt | Odessa, TX | $6,427 | ||||||
| 6/27/21 | Event #78: $600 NLH | 358 | $182,580 | Mark Seif | Henderson, NV | $41,991 | ||||||
| 6/28/21 | Event #79: $1,600 PLO Championship | 248 | $352,160 | Jesse Lonis | Medford, OR | $81,485 | ||||||
| 6/27/21 | Event #80: $400 NLH Bounty | 81 | $27,702 | Josh Suyat | Las Vegas, NV | $6,273 | ||||||
| 6/30/21 | Event #81: $800 NLH Ultimate Stack | 1,811 | $1,249,590 | Mark Seif | Henderson, NV | $193,416 | ||||||
| 6/28/21 | Event #82: $400 NLH Survivor | 110 | $37,620 | 11 Winners | N/A | $3,400 | ||||||
| 6/29/21 | Event #83: $400 NLH Survivor | 95 | $32,490 | 9 Winners | N/A | $3,400 | ||||||
| 6/30/21 | Event #84: $600 NLH Survivor | 95 | $49,400 | 9 Winners | N/A | $5,200 | ||||||
| 7/1/21 | Event #85: $1,100 NLH | 407 | $394,790 | Zachary Smiley | Toledo, OH | $70,000 | ||||||
| 7/1/21 | Event #86: $600 NLH Survivor | 215 | $111,800 | 21 Winners | N/A | $5,200 | ||||||
| 7/4/21 | Event #88: $5,000 WPT | 1,199 | $5,545,375 | Chad Eveslage | Ramsey, IN | $910,370 | ||||||
| 7/2/21 | Event #89: $600 NLH Survivor | 239 | $124,280 | 23 Winners | N/A | $5,200 | ||||||
| 7/5/21 | Event #90: $1,100 NLH | 215 | $208,550 | Ken Ware | Frankfort, KY | $44,592 | ||||||
| 7/7/21 | Event #91: $800 NLH | 1,143 | $788,670 | Ashraf Chehata | St. Augustine, FL | $125,462 | ||||||
| 7/6/21 | Event #92: $400 NLH Survivor | 155 | $53,010 | 15 Winners | N/A | $3,400 | ||||||
| 7/7/21 | Event #93: $400 NLH Survivor | 168 | $57,456 | 16 Winners | N/A | $3,400 | ||||||
| 7/8/21 | Event #95: $600 NLH | 462 | $235,620 | Nick Blackburn | Long Bottom, OH | $50,663 | ||||||
| 7/8/21 | Event #96: $400 NLH Survivor | 121 | $41,382 | 12 Winners | N/A | $3,400 |
*Images courtesy of Venetian.
