The PokerNews Deepstack Challenge, the precursor to the $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship, is a new addition to World Series of Poker that looks to shine a light on low-stakes grinders and home game heroes.
Running until June 24, this weekly leaderboard promotion rewards players participating in the daily $200, $250, or $400 Deepstack tournaments at the WSOP. Every week, the top 10 point earners will win complimentary seats to the $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship bracelet event.
There’s also some cool memorabilia for our Deepstack final tablists and winners. Make it to the final table, and you’ll receive a special edition card protector. Deepstack winners will get a unique card protector, marking them as champions. Plus, trophies will be awarded to each of the weekly leaderboard winners.
Several of the winner card protectors have already been handed out, with Simmy Mok (pictured) being the first beneficiary. 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.
Here is everything you need to know about the PokerNews Deepstack Championship at the 2024 World Series of Poker.
Simmy Mok’s Long Road to the WSOP
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.
” I got into a really bad car accident seven years ago,”
Mok came across the broadcasts of the WSOP and WPT, and her love affair with poker began to sprout.
“I started playing free games online because of those shows, and then eventually, I think ten years later, I actually played $1-$5 Spread Limit [for the first time],” Mok told PokerNews.
“Poker became my outlet,”
Poker then became a saving grace for the Canadian as a major event seven caused huge changes in her day-to-day life.
“I got into a really bad car accident seven years ago…it was really bad. I couldn’t do much physically; I was extremely active, so I couldn’t do those types of things anymore because of just how things were for me, so poker became my outlet.”
Mok continued to play in small games before looking for new poker experiences. Mok began travelling to play the game, and naturally, trips to Sin City followed. From there, she’d play in $150 events and found herself cashing events usually around 25% of the time.
“It was like a saving grace because it gave me something to look forward to, and I really enjoyed it. I love poker and meeting new people. Winning’s always great, but win or lose, I believe you need a joy for it.”
After being a fan of the game for more than 20 years, Mok made her first trip to the WSOP last year, where she played in the Daily Deepstack as that was what her bankroll would allow her.
“I thought, you know, this is the time to do it,”
Fast forward 12 months, Mok struck gold, winning a $250 Daily Deepstack for $10,256, her biggest-ever score. The fruits of that payday allowed Mok to tick off an item from her poker bucket list, playing in an actual bracelet event.
Thanks to the encouragement from her son and a professional poker player she was sitting next to, Mok made the decision to register for July’s Event #93: $777 Lucky 7’s No-Limit Hold’em (7-Handed), which features a $777,777 first-place prize.
“I thought, you know, this is the time to do it. So I actually decided I’m going to come back for this. I’ve never played an event that will have that many people, so I thought, you know what? This is how I got here, to begin with. Why not just give it a shot and win it.”
$250 Daily Deepstack Full Results (May 28)
The $250 Daily Deepstack on May 28 of the 2024 WSOP saw 237 entrants create a $47,000 prize pool. The top 36 players made the money, with $506 being the min-cash.
This Tournament Crusher Shares His Top Tips for the PokerNews Deepstack Challenge
Other Deepstack Winners
| Date | Event | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 28 May | $250 No Limit Hold’em | 237 | $47,400 | Simmy Mok | $10,256 |
| Tue 28 May | $400 No Limit Hold’em | 21 | $6,930 | Kum Im | $2,863 |
| Tue 28 May | $200 No Limit Hold’em | 115 | $17,825 | Cory Biddle | $4,697 |
| Wed 29 May | $250 No Limit Hold’em | 389 | $77,800 | Alexander Kinney | $14,632 |
| Wed 29 May | $400 No Limit Hold’em | 50 | $16,500 | Jeremy Johnson | $5,411 |
| Wed 29 May | $200 No Limit Hold’em | 163 | $25,265 | Gerald Bickmore | $6,065 |
| Thu 30 May | $250 No Limit Hold’em | 422 | $84,400 | Jugal Daterao | $15,519 |
| Thu 30 May | $400 No Limit Hold’em | 115 | $51,150 | Allan Ansdell Jr | $12,420 |
| Thu 30 May | $200 No Limit Hold’em | 178 | $27,590 | William Plitz | $6,475 |
Top Tips to Crush the $600 PokerNews DeepStack Championship at the 2024 WSOP
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!
Editor & Live Reporter
Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum’s proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.
