Raymond Chiu's Back-to-Back PokerNews Daily Deepstack Wins Yields a $30K Windfall
Raymond Chiu, a 42-year-old IT consultant, has taken the first week of the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge by storm. His impressive performance has secured him a place among the top ten weekly players, who each receive a $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship ticket at the 2024 World Series of Poker.
Chiu's remarkable run started on Friday, May 31, when he won the $400 Daily Deepstack. This event drew 177 entries and a prize pool of $58,410, with Chiu taking home $13,709. The very next day, on June 1, he triumphed again in the same event, which attracted 229 participants and generated a prize pool of $75,570. This victory earned him $16,489, marking his largest payout to date.
These consecutive wins have boosted Chiu's total earnings from these events to $30,198—not bad for an $800 investment.
Here is everything you need to know about the PokerNews Deepstack Championship at the 2024 World Series of Poker.
WSOP to Become a Family Affair for Chiu
Reflecting on his back-to-back victories, Chiu shared his excitement and gratitude.
"Obviously, a couple of big scores at the beginning of WSOP is a good way to kick off the season in surplus rather than deficit, but two back-to-back first-place wins in the exact same tournament two days in a row was never expected. What I could say about the Deepstack tournament is, what a good way to make up for failed bullets at the Mystery Millions!
"They are an outlet for frustration, good practice for the bracelet events, and a second chance to redeem the day after what is usually a bad beat story type of exit from the bracelet event of the day."
He also expressed deep appreciation for his wife's support.
"I should definitely thank my wife, Ruth, for putting up with me, her patience, and even buying my airline tickets to Vegas for the WSOP! I would not be here if not for her support and encouragement to play at my best."
Chiu was initially unaware of the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge leaderboard promotion.
"I did not know anything about the leaderboard when I entered the first tournament. After taking first place, one of the floor said this will be a lot of points and put you on the leaderboard. He directed me to the QR codes, which I scanned, and later learned about the PokerNews promo.
"I figured a first-place finish should be a decent amount of points, leading me to try for the top 10. My next goal was just to cash at least once or twice more to break into the top 10, but a second consecutive first place was completely beyond expectations."
Chiu acknowledged that his success required both skill and luck.
"Of course, as any poker player will tell you, it could not have been achieved without a decent amount and balance of playing well and a heck of a lot of good luck.
"I am hoping and expecting that I won't be knocked lower than 10th place within the next 36 hours, so I have already booked a ticket back to play the event on June 25.
"My parents, John and Amy Chiu, are also booked and excited to rail me for the event. If it wasn't for the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge, I might have been one and done, but I'm thankful to the floor man who pointed it out to me and brought me back for the second!"
Check Out the Leaderboard for the PNDC
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!
