Highlights From Week 1 of the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge at the 2024 WSOP
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Amidst the excitement of the 2024 World Series of Poker, the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge (PNDC) has been making waves at Horseshoe and Paris in Las Vegas.
For those new to the scene, PokerNews has revamped this summer’s Daily Deepstacks, shining a spotlight on the unsung heroes of low-stakes poker and dedicated amateurs. To further entice these bedrock poker fans, PokerNews has stumped up 40 tickets through a leaderboard promotion to our exclusive bracelet event, the $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship.
Every week, the top ten players on the leaderboard earn one of these coveted tickets and with the first week already concluded, let’s dive into the highlights from Week 1!
Here is everything you need to know about the PokerNews Deepstack Championship at the 2024 World Series of Poker.
Raymond Chiu Becomes First Leaderboard Winner
The opening week of the PNDC was completed on June 3, and with that, the first top ten players to qualify for the $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship were determined.
Taking the top spot was Raymond Chiu, whose back-to-back Deepstack victories propelled him to first place. Along with the ticket, he was awarded his very own PNDC trophy.
For those still looking to participate, there are plenty of opportunities over the next three weeks to qualify for the PokerNews Deepstack Championship bracelet event.
The Week 2 leaderboard started on June 4 and runs until Monday, June 10 and is then followed by Week 3 (June 11-17) and Week 4 (June 18-24).
Read Raymond's $800 to $30,000 Story Here
Week 1 Top 10 Leaderboard
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raymond Chiu | 1,075 |
| 2 | William Plitz | 952 |
| 3 | Jesse Gardner | 821 |
| 4 | Clark Robertson | 795 |
| 5 | Cory Biddle | 782 |
| 6 | Connor Woodland | 767 |
| 7 | Russell Brooks | 765 |
| 8 | Edgar Mascorro | 762 |
| 9 | Georgios Skarparis | 747 |
| 10 | Jingwei Qi | 747 |
Simmy Mok's Long Road to the WSOP
Canada's Simmy Mok was the first beneficiary of a PNDC card protector. She triumphed in the opening Daily Deepstack of the series, but it's been quite the journey for Mok, whose passion for poker came from very humble beginnings.
Mok's route into poker began 24 years ago when she was nursing her son. With a newborn, Mok found herself awake through various stages of the night, and while tending to her baby's needs, she started channel-flicking through the television.
Poker then became a saving grace for the Canadian after a major event seven year ago caused huge changes in her day-to-day life.
How Poker Became a Saving Grace
WSOP Circuit Ring Winner Cory Biddle Takes On the PNDC
WSOP Circuit Ring winner Cory “CJ” Biddle has been heavily grinding the Daily Deepstacks and notched a victory on May 28 and banked one other cash in Week 1 to lock up fifth-place on the top ten leaderboard.
Biddle took down the third Daily Deepstack of the series and gave his thoughts on why these tournaments are perfect for poker players looking to maintain their bankroll over the summer.
Week 1 PNDC Winners
The Daily Deepstack have already seen some amazing turnout, with 7,753 entries recorded across the events in the opening week. From those buy-ins, a grand total of $1,694,590 has been collected in prize pools, with the tournament champions claiming $322,462 of that sum.
The biggest tournament of the week was Monday's 1 p.m. $250 Daily Deepstack, with a field size of 1,030 players. Jesse Gardner was the winner and collected the $29,557 first-place prize.
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!
