Branden Shimamoto Leads Final Five in PokerNews Deepstack Championship
Branden Shimamoto will be in pole position come Day 4 of Event #62: $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship, sitting clear at the top of the chip counts with just five players remaining at the 2024 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
A field of 60 players was whittled down to just a handful over the course of 12 hours, with the remaining players all having locked up $79,418.
Final Table Chip Counts
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darryll Fish | United States | 5,200,000 | 9 |
| 2 | Harrison Ashdown | United States | 30,900,000 | 52 |
| 3 | Luke Varrasso | Canada | 42,000,000 | 70 |
| 4 | Hector Berry | United Kingdom | 23,800,000 | 40 |
| 5 | Branden Shimamoto | United States | 56,400,000 | 94 |
The winner will walk away with $282,876 and a one-of-a-kind commemorative 24k-karat gold coin as a testament to their accomplishment.
Final Table Payouts/Results
| Place | Player | Country | Payout (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $282,876 | ||
| 2 | $188,644 | ||
| 3 | $140,264 | ||
| 4 | $105,122 | ||
| 5 | $79,418 | ||
| 6 | Sihao Zhang | Luxembourg | $60,485 |
| 7 | Jolan Mancini | Canada | $46,442 |
| 8 | Thomas Murphy | Ireland | $35,953 |
| 9 | Kenny Huynh | United States | $28,064 |
Shimamoto leads Luke Varrasso, with Harrison Ashdown and Hector Berry not far behind. Darryll Fish brings up the rear, but will hope to come from behind once play resumes on Day 4.
Day 3 Recap
The start of the day was fast and furious, with Sihao Zhang into an early lead as 26 players exited in the first two levels, but by the time the three-table redraw was reached, it was Yaniv Peretz who held a slender lead over Zang.
A steady stream of players continued to head to the exit, including Arlen Sarte, whose elimination boosted Zhang back into the chip lead.
However, Michael Lisman's elimination saw Thomas Murphy put on a surge to contend for the lead, and it was Murphy and Zhang who sat clear at the two table redraw.
There was a huge double for Branden Shimamoto, who flopped the nut flush against Harrison Ashdown's middle set to move ahead for the first time in the tournament. The action slowed, with Hector Berry using an opportune moment to move into the lead, and it was the Brit who led the final ten.
Action at the final table was tense, before Diogo Cardoso exited in tenth, with Luke Varrasso (pictured) sending the last remaining bracelet-winner Kenny Huynh to the rail soon afterward.
Former chip leader Murphy was then sent packing by chip leader Shimamoto, who also eliminated Jolan Mancini, with Shimamoto now having clear water between him and the rest of the pack.
Eventually, Zhang was the last elimination of the day, falling at the hands of Ashdown, but it will be Shimamoto in pole position to score the $282,876 payday when the event resumes tomorrow at 12 p.m. local time.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all the action for the final day as we crown the winner of the inaugural PokerNews Deepstack Championship.