From the end of March through May 1, Venetian Las Vegas hosted the DeepStack Extravaganza II, a 60-event series that catered to a combined 6,669 entrants and awarded $2,369,868 in prize money.
Among those to win titles during the series were Christopher Bowen (Event #1: $400 Ultimate Stack for $25,167), Tiago Jesus Luis (Event #6: $800 Ultimate Bounty for $44,757), Basil Glezakos (Event #28: $365 Monster Stack for $33,865), Christina Gollins (Event #40: $600 Monster Stack for $11,000), and Tuan Mai (Event #53: $500 Monster Stack for $12,239).
Here’s a look at some highlights from the series.
Cory Skolnik Wins $600 Monster Stack
Near the end of the series on May 1, the $600 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack attracted 619 runners and offered up a $313,833 prize pool to the top 63 finishers. Among those to cash were Chip Jett (54th – $1,412), Rex Clinkscales (44th – $1,569), Michael Dyer (26th – $2,040), Dustin Lee (13th – $3,609), Jeff Tanouye (8th – $6,904), and Michael Steinbacher (3rd – $34,135).
In the end, it was Cory Skolnik of Las Vegas besting Hawaii’s Jesse Rivera in heads-up play to win the title for $55,442. It was a career-high score for Skolnik, who according to The Hendon Mob had less than $5,000 in tournament earnings before the victory.
$600 Monster Stack Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Cory Skolnik | Las Vegas, NV | $55,442 |
| 2nd | Jesse Rivera | Kaneohe, HI | $34,264 |
| 3rd | Michael Steinbacher | Spring, TX | $34,135 |
| 4th | Kevon Bakhtiari | Mission Viejo, CA | $31,356 |
| 5th | Josh Greenberg | Henderson, NV | $16,162 |
| 6th | Atrayon Trevino | Oceanside, Ca | $8,944 |
| 7th | Ophir Atar | Sherman Village, CA | $12,083 |
| 8th | Jeff Tanouye | Las Vegas, NV | $6,904 |
| 9th | Kao Zaechao | Las Vegas, NV | $5,492 |
Back-to-Back Clinkscales
On April 11, Rex Clinkscales won an event at The Wynn Signature Series for $11,149. The day before, he was busy winning one at the Venetian when he topped an 83-entry field to win Event #24: $400 NLH Monster Stack for $6,081 after a three-way deal.
Also a part of that deal was Barry Shulman of CardPlayer Magazine fame and Daniel Pinto, who finished in second and third place respectively for the same amount,
Event #24: $400 NLH Monster Stack Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Rex Clinkscales | Las Vegas, NV | $6,081* |
| 2nd | Barry Shulman | Las Vegas, NV | $6,080* |
| 3rd | Daniel Pinto | Las Vegas, NV | $6,079* |
| 4th | Charles Briggs | Avon, CO | $2,808 |
| 5th | Paul Lui | Irvine, CA | $2,058 |
| 6th | Joel Galloway | Springfield, VA | $1,557 |
| 7th | Bruce Jaffe | Aptos, CA | $1,223 |
| 8th | Allan Myer | Beverly Hills, CA | $1,029 |
| 9th | Mohsen Mousavi | Las Vegas, NV | $890 |
*Denotes three-way deal.
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Venetian 2022 DeepStack Extravaganza II Winners
| Date | Tournament | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-Mar | Event #1: $400 NLH Ultimate Stack | 427 | $140,910 | Christopher Bowen | San Francisco, CA | $25,167 |
| 28-Mar | Event #2: $300 NLH Bounty | 59 | $14,750 | Pablo Lopez | Lake Oswego, OR | $3,320 |
| 29-Mar | Event #3: $300 NLH Bounty | 49 | $12,250 | Julian Rugna | Argentina | $2,074 |
| 30-Mar | Event #4: $400 NLH Monster Bounty | 122 | $40,870 | Arturo Moreira Sampaio | Brazil | $9,653 |
| 30-Mar | Event #5: $300 NLH Survivor | 60 | $15,000 | 6 Winners | N/A | $2,300 |
| 2-Apr | Event #6: $800 NLH Ultimate Bounty | 477 | $329,130 | Tiago Jesus Luis | Portugal | $44,757 |
| 31-Mar | Event #7: $300 NLH Survivor | 71 | $17,750 | 7 Winners | N/A | $2,500 |
| 1-Apr | Event #8: $300 NLH Survivor | 79 | $19,750 | 7 Winners | N/A | $2,500 |
| 3-Apr | Event #9: $400 NLH Monster Stack | 137 | $45,895 | Gladys Landegger | Las Vegas, NV | $11,390 |
| 3-Apr | Event #10: $300 NLH Bounty | 46 | $11,500 | David Weiss | Maple Shade, NJ | $2,932 |
| 6-Apr | Event #11: $400 Ultimate Stack | 425 | $140,250 | Taran Turner | Hesperia, CA | $21,100 |
| 4-Apr | Event #12: $300 NLH Bounty | 36 | $10,000 | Robert Selag | Pomona, CA | $3,008 |
| 5-Apr | Event #13: $300 NLH Bounty | 49 | $12,250 | Julian Rugna | Argentina | $2,971 |
| 6-Apr | Event #14: $400 NLH Monster Stack | 108 | $36,180 | Anthony Abram | Australia | $7,756 |
| 6-Apr | Event #15: $300 NLH Survivor | 58 | $14,500 | 5 winners | N/A | $2,500 |
| 7-Apr | Event #16: $300 Senior Monster Stack | 112 | $37,250 | Robert McGuire | Linwood, NJ | $8,405 |
| 7-Apr | Event #17: $400 PLO 8 or Better | 49 | $16,660 | Ryan Hammel | Neenah, WI | $5,399 |
| 7-Apr | Event #18: $300 NLH Bounty | 52 | $13,000 | Ekrem Bozkurt | Las Vegas, NV | $2,924 |
| 8-Apr | Event #19: $400 NLH Monster Stack | 78 | $8,585 | Brian Meadows | Renton, WA | $8,585 |
| 8-Apr | Event #20: $400 Pot-Limit Omaha | 42 | $14,280 | Justin Haller | Redondo Beach, CA | $5,039 |
| 8-Apr | Event #21: $300 NLH Bounty | 40 | $10,000 | Bruce Jiang | SeaTac, WA | $2,780 |
| 9-Apr | Event #22: $400 NLH Monster Bounty | 83 | $27,805 | Avertano Cawich | Los Angeles, CA | $5,616 |
| 9-Apr | Event #23: $300 NLH Bounty | 52 | $13,000 | Matias Chervin | Argentina | $2,367 |
| 10-Apr | Event #24: $400 Monster Stack | 83 | $27,805 | Rex Clinkscales | Las Vegas, NV | $6,081 |
| 10-Apr | Event #25: $300 NLH Survivor | 48 | $12,000 | 5 winners | N/A | $2,300 |
| 11-Apr | Event #26: $400 Monster Stack Bounty | 71 | $23,785 | Peter Braglia | Las Vegas, NV | $6,897 |
| 11-Apr | Event #27: $300 NLH Bounty | 72 | $18,000 | Lee Wagner | United Kingdom | $2,122 |
| 12-Apr | Event #28: $365 NLH Monster Stack | 536 | $200,000 | Basil Glezakos | Canada | $33,865 |
| 12-Apr | Event #29: $300 NLH Bounty | 40 | $10,000 | Benjamin Garrick | Bandon, OR | $2,820 |
| 13-Apr | Event #30: $300 NLH Survivor | 67 | $16,750 | 6 Winners | N/A | $2,500 |
| 14-Apr | Event #31: $300 NLH Bounty | 70 | $17,500 | Alexander Wadley | Sherman Oaks, CA | $2,506 |
| 15-Apr | Event #32: $300 NLH Bounty | 58 | $14,500 | Michael Cavanaugh | Independence, NY | $2,201 |
| 16-Apr | Event #33: $300 NLH Bounty | 56 | $14,000 | Michael Christiansen | Las Vegas, NV | $2,375 |
| 17-Apr | Event #34: $400 NLH Monster Stack | 108 | $36,180 | Susannah Altman | Henderson, NV | $7,440 |
| 17-Apr | Event #35: $300 NLH Survivor | 54 | $13,500 | 5 winners | N/A | $2,500 |
| 18-Apr | Event #36: $400 NLH Monster Bounty | 86 | $28,810 | Michael Mortaji | Denver, CO | $7,939 |
| 18-Apr | Event #37: $300 NLH Bounty | 45 | $11,250 | Makayla Rounseville | Henderson, NV | $2,868 |
| 19-Apr | Event #38: $400 NLH Monster Stack | 62 | $20,770 | Jong Jin | Las Vegas, NV | $5,300 |
| 19-Apr | Event #39: $300 NLH Bounty | 47 | $11,750 | Brandon Turk | Crosby, MN | $2,795 |
| 20-Apr | Event #40: $600 NLH Monster Stack | 90 | $45,900 | Christina Gollins | Las Vegas, NV | $11,000 |
| 20-Apr | Event #41: $300 NLH Survivor | 35 | $10,000 | Zachary Bartholomew | Aubrey, TX | $2,400 |
| 24-Apr | Event #42: $400 NLH Ultimate Stack | 565 | $186,450 | Sungwoo Tae | Las Vegas, NV | $29,525 |
| 21-Apr | Event #43: $300 NLH Survivor | 74 | $18,500 | 7 winners | N/A | $2,500 |
| 22-Apr | Event #44: $300 NLH Bounty | 70 | $17,500 | Lee Viloria | Hayward, CA | $3,674 |
| 24-Apr | Event #45: $400 NLH Monster Stack | 73 | $24,455 | Rysom Sanderlin | Berthoud, CO | $5,172 |
| 24-Apr | Event #46: $300 NLH Bounty | 56 | $14,000 | Robert McGlew | Los Angeles, CA | $2,200 |
| 25-Apr | Event #47: $400 NLH Monster Stack | 81 | $27,135 | George Long | Las Vegas, NV | $8,682 |
| 25-Apr | Event #48: $300 NLH SuperStack | 52 | $12,740 | Michael Allis | Post Falls, ID | $4,777 |
| 25-Apr | Event #49: $300 NLH Bounty | 66 | $16,500 | William Lathrop | Atlanta, GA | $3,465 |
| 26-Apr | Event #50: $400 NLH Monster Stack Throwback | 91 | $30,485 | Brendan Shiller | Las Vegas, NV | $8,565 |
| 26-Apr | Event #51: $300 NLH SuperStack | 67 | $16,415 | Layne Thompson | Potton, TX | $4,680 |
| 26-Apr | Event #52: $300 NLH Bounty | 54 | $13,500 | Ryan Awwad | Sacramento, CA | $3,037 |
| 27-Apr | Event #53: $500 NLH Monster Stack | 90 | $38,250 | Tuan Mai | San Leandro, CA | $12,239 |
| 27-Apr | Event #54: $300 NLH Super Stack | 57 | $13,965 | Trung Nguyen | Canada | $5,237 |
| 27-Apr | Event #55: $300 NLH Survivor | 42 | $10,500 | 5 winners | N/A | $2,000 |
| 1-May | Event #56: $600 NLH Monster Stack | 619 | $313,833 | Cory Skolnik | Las Vegas, NV | $55,442 |
| 28-Apr | Event #57: $300 NLH Survivor | 53 | $13,250 | 5 winners | N/A | $2,500 |
| 29-Apr | Event #58: $400 Pot-Limit Omaha | 64 | $21,760 | Richard Crystal | Surprise, AZ | $6,576 |
| 1-May | Event #59: $400 NLH Monster Stack | 89 | $29,815 | Geraint George | United Kingdom | $9,542 |
| 1-May | Event #60: $300 NLH Bounty | 67 | $16,750 | Trevor Lewis | Rogers, AR | $1,946 |
The Venetian Summer DeepStack Championship kicked off on May 2 and is slated to run through the summer until July 31. The 133-event series offers more than $22 million in guaranteed prize pools. Click here for a look at the full schedule.
*Images courtesy of Venetian.
Executive Editor U.S.
Executive Editor US, PokerNews Podcast co-host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.