$600 Deeper Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) $150,000 Guaranteed | Structure Return to Level 15: 2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante Players Remaining: 23 of 126
Flight A: 126 Entries; 23 Advanced Flight B: Tuesday at 11 am Day 2: Wednesday at 11 am
Registration is open until the start of Day 2 on Wednesday at 11 am
We have another one-day trophy event on the Deep Stack Poker Series schedule, this one kicking off at 6 pm in the Poker Room. It has a $250 buy-in with a $20,000 guaranteed prize pool and tons of fun.
Players sit with 20K in their stacks and all levels last 20 minutes. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 10 at 9:30 pm.
$20,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
Players begin with 20,000 in chips
Levels last 20 minutes
Late registration until start of Level 10 (9:30pm)
This is a one-day tournament and plays to completion
2025 May Deep Stack Poker Series Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Florida Event 1 $400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) $100,000 Guaranteed Entries: 693 Prize Pool: $228,690 May 15 – 19, 2025
Alejandro Amador, 2025 DSPS Event 1 champ
The 2025 May Deep Stack Poker Series kicked off with a big $400 buy-in tournament that featured three starting flights, long blind levels, and late registration until the start of Day 2. After a tough final table, Alejandro Amador took the top spot outright for $36,010.
The tournament drew 677 entries over the three starting flights, plus another 16 late reg players to put the combined total at 693. Our players more than doubled the $100,000 guarantee into a prize pool worth $228,690.
The last 87 players made the money, and the pace of play was faster than expected, with 60—and 90-minute levels, until they hit the last two tables.
Then everything slowed down with big money coming up.
The last seven players bagged their chips at the end of Day 2 and returned, with Steve “Cuz” Buckner leading the way. Also in the mix were our all-time wins leader, Raminder Singh, and the former champ of this tournament, Carlos Bermudez.
Felipe Luyanda took over early after knocking out Bermudez and Richard Saunders, and Buckner dropped when he lost a big hand with tens versus the queens of Joseph Hernon.
Luyanda eliminated Hernon, Amador sent out Buckner, and the two were evenly matched for heads-up play. On the final hand, Amador turned trip sevens against Luyanda’s queens to take the pot, the title, and the trophy.
$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Prize Pool: $228,690 | Structure | Payouts Level 29: 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Alejandro Amador
Alejandro Amador opened to 300,000, Felipe Luyanda raised to 600,000 and Amador called.
The flop was , Luyanda checked, Amador bet 400,000 and Luyanda check-raised to 1,000,000. Amador called and the turn was . Luyanda moved all in and Amador quickly called with a similar stack.
Amador: Luyanda:
Amador made trip sevens on the turn versus Luyanda’s queens and the river locked up the hand.
Amador was holding 9,100,000 and was ahead of Luyanda’s stack of 8,475,000. Amador locked up $36,010 his first trophy along with his biggest career cash.
$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Prize Pool: $228,690 | Structure | Payouts Level 29: 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante Players Remaining: 2 of 693
Alejandro Amador
Without any big pots, Alejandro Amador chipped away at Felipe Luyanda’s lead and now holds a small advantage.
But there’s still plenty of chips in play to make this a long battle.
$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Prize Pool: $228,690 | Structure | Payouts Level 29: 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante Players Remaining: 2 of 693
Steve Buckner
Steve Buckner open-ripped for his last 875,000 and Alejandro Amador quickly called.
Amador: Buckner:
“Nice hand Cuz,” Buckner told Amador.
Buckner had a lot of problems with the smaller ace and it got worse when Amadar paired his queen on the flop. The turn left Buckner drawing dead to the river and third place.
Alejandro Amador – 8,700,000 (87 bb) Felipe Luyanda – 12,100,000 (121 bb) Steve Buckner – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($17,800)
$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Prize Pool: $228,690 | Structure | Payouts Level 29: 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante Players Remaining: 3 of 693
Joseph Hernon
Felipe Luyanda limped his button, Steve Buckner completed his small blind, Joseph Hernon checked from the big, and the flop was .
Buckner checked, Hernon bet 100,000 and only Luyanda stuck around. The turn was , Hernon moved all in for 1,825,000 and Luyanda called.
Luyanda: Hernon:
Hernon was ahead with two pair kings and sixes versus Luyanda’s pair of nines and heart draw. Luyanda called for a heart but got the river instead for trip nines.
Felipe Luyanda – 12,100,000 (121 bb) Joseph Hernon – Eliminated in 4th Place ($13,300)
$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Prize Pool: $228,690 | Structure | Payouts Level 29: 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante Players Remaining: 4 of 693
$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Prize Pool: $228,690 | Structure | Payouts Level 28: 50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante Players Remaining: 4 of 693
Steve Buckner
Steve Buckner open-shipped for 975,000 first to act, Joseph Hernon called on the button, and the blinds folded.
Buckner: Hernon:
Buckner needed to improve to double and took the lead when he paired his queen on the flop. He faded a bad beat on the turn and river to set off his normal, typical, room-booming celebration.
Steve Buckner – 2,150,000 (29 bb) Joseph Hernon – 3,800,000 (51 bb)
$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Prize Pool: $228,690 | Structure | Payouts Level 28: 50,000/75,000 with a 75,000 ante Players Remaining: 4 of 693
Steve Buckner opened to 325,000 from under the gun, Joseph Hernon three-bet to 900,000 from the button and “Cuz” came along.
The flop was and Buckner announced all in for 2,350,000. Hernon thought for a few minutes and called at risk for 1,625,000.
Hernon: Buckner:
Hernon was ahead with the bigger pair and it held on the turn and river for another double.
Joseph Hernon – 5,225,000 (70 bb) Steve Buckner – 725,000 (10 bb)