2024 WSOP PokerNews Deepstack Challenge
PNDC Updates
Week: 4
Earlier this year on an ordinary Monday afternoon, a bespectacled man walked into the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop on Las Vegas Blvd. Tucked under his arm was an uninteresting box that only he knew contained something rather interesting – a pair of gold watches dating back more than 40 years.
These were not your run-of-the-mill wristwear, but rather evidence of a unique and often overlooked time of poker history, a year when the World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet, now the game’s highest accolade, was replaced in favor of watches.
The man holding the box was David Sklansky, who in 1978 forever changed poker by advocating a mathematical approach to the game in his groundbreaking book The Theory of Poker. Nicknamed “The Mathematician,” he proved his prowess just four years later when he won two WSOP tournaments in five days.
First, he won the 1982 WSOP Event #7: $800 Mixed Doubles Limit Seven Card Stud, a tournament that paired one man with one woman, alongside Dani Kelly, and followed that up by taking down Event #12: $1,000 Limit 5-Card Draw High. A year later, the Binions reverted back to the beloved bracelets players know today, and Sklansky captured his third piece of WSOP hardware by winning Event #11: $1,000 Limit Omaha.
It was a remarkable accomplishment, and for more than four decades he’s kept safe the evidence of his victories, both of which still worked. So, why was Sklansky carrying his 1982 WSOP gold watches, two of only 15 ever awarded, into a pawn shop? Well, he was looking to sell them of course, but not to just any of the dozens of pawn shops spread across Las Vegas. Oh no, he was walking into arguably the most famous pawn shop in the world, the home to the wildly popular television show Pawn Stars, and he was there to do it with cameras rolling.
Read all about the 1982 WSOP watches here in our feature article!
What is the buy-in for the PokerNews Deepstack Championship?
The buy-in for the PokerNews Deepstack Championship event at the 2024 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 June 25 and June 28 2024. It's the 62nd event in the 2024 WSOP and takes place just less than one month into the Series and three weeks before its conclusion.
Where is the PokerNews Deepstack Championship?
The PokerNews Deepstack Championship will be held is a new, vibrant venue near the Horseshoe poker room, Las Vegas. It's located on the Las Vegas Strip, less than a 10-minute drive from Harry Reid International Airport.
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 28 to June 24. 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
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!
The third and final PokerNews Daily Deepstacks event on June 17 — $200 no-limit hold'em — took place at 8 p.m. and had a field of 257 players, which generated a prize pool of $39,835.
After the last card of the night was dealt, Jon Vrolyks had accumulated every single chip in the tournament, meaning he was crowned the champion. For his impressive performance, Vrolyks took home $8,419 along with 668 PokerNews Deepstack Challenge points for Week 3.
There were a total of 39 players who finished in the money, and here's a look at all of them:
To make the $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship unforgettable, the winner will receive an exclusive, one-of-a-kind 24-karat gold PokerNews Deepstack Championship winner's coin.
Imagine the feeling of holding a gleaming gold coin, specially crafted just for you, symbolizing your incredible achievement.
This isn't just any prize — it's a piece of poker history, a trophy that stands out from the rest.
This unique coin isn't just about the win; it's about the story you'll tell, the legacy you'll leave, and the envy of every poker player who sees it. It’s more than just a prize; it's a badge of honor, a rare treasure you’ll cherish forever.
Following a monster 1:00 p.m. field in the PokerNews Daily Deepstacks, the $400 buy-in 4:00 p.m. session was huge as well, and a big name poker player came out victorious.
Olga Iermolcheva, a popular competitor on the Poker After Dark: Game of Gold poker reality TV show, conquered the 242-player tournament for $17,151, earning 729 points in the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge leaderboard for Week 3.
Iermolcheva, a Ukrainian poker player, has over $745,000 in live tournament cashes, according to The Hendon Mob. She was among 37 players who cashed in the June 17 $400 Deepstack. Here's a list of everyone who finished in the money.
Like Raymond Chiu the week before him, Duy Ho's Daily Deepstack double victory put him in top spot of the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge Leaderboard.
He finished with 1,538 points, the most anybody has recorded thus far.
Yotam Shmuelov and Nicholas Burnett also broke the 1,000-point barrier, ending the week with 1,264 and 1,149 to round out the top three.
Monday's action in the PokerNews Daily Deepstacks during the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) brought about another day of massive fields and big winners.
In the 1:00 p.m. tournament, a $250 buy-in, there were 913 entrants, creating a prize pool of $182,600. When all was said and done, the only player still standing was Raed Abualfilat. The champion took home $27,118 and earned 809 points on the PokerNews Daily Deepstack Challenge leaderboard.
The top 137 players went home with money, and here's a look at every player who cashed: