The Venetian recently wrapped up its DeepStack Extravaganza II, a 75-event series that ran from April 1 to May 17. All told, the festival catered to a combined 8,026 entries (not including satellites) and awarded $2,390,700 in prize money.
Among those to win titles were five two-time winners, including Samy Dighlawi, who on April 4 won Event #5: $400 NLH for $4,973, and then more than a month later took down Event #73: $200 NLH Bounty for $1,378.
In between, Andrew Rodgers won both Event #24: $400 NLH for $6,975 and Event #35: $400 NLH for $6,597, while WSOP bracelet winner Donnell Dais claimed victory in back-to-back days with Event #31: $200 NLH Bounty for $2,550 and then Event #34: $200 NLH Grinder’s Bounty for $1,488.
Jeffrey Kostyniuk took down Event #44: $300 NLH for $15,032, and then two days later, he won Event #50: $200 NLH Bounty for $2,374.
Finally, Kevin Matter became a two-time champ after winning Event #66: $200 NLH Bounty for $1,482, and less than a week later, took down Event #71: $200 NLH Bounty for $1,507.
Some other big-name winners from the series were former CardPlayer Magazine publisher Barry Shulman (Event #70: $400 NLH Seniors for $18,044), Kathy Liebert (Event #23: $200 NLH Bounty for $1,977), and Dan Heimiller (Event #12: $800 NLH for $47,212).
Below is a look at all those who claimed titles during the latest Venetian series.
| Date | Tournament | Entries | Prize Pool | Overlay | Winner | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/1/26 | Event #1: $600 NLH | 285 | $150,000 | $6,075 | Qing Liu | Las Vegas, NV | $30,596 |
| 4/1/26 | Event #2: $200 NLH Bounty | 66 | $10,560 | $0 | Himmaphoum Bounthinh | Las Vegas, NV | $2,223 |
| 4/2/26 | Event #3: $200 NLH Bounty | 84 | $13,440 | $0 | Adam Churnick | Las Vegas, NV | $1,969 |
| 4/3/26 | Event #4: $200 NLH Bounty | 76 | $12,160 | $0 | Jonathan Wirjo | Las Vegas, NV | $1,509 |
| 4/4/26 | Event #5: $400 NLH | 73 | $24,455 | $0 | Samy Dighlawi | Temecula, CA | $4,973 |
| 4/4/26 | Event #6: $200 NLH Bounty | 82 | $13,120 | $0 | Phillip Leblanc | Lafayette, LA | $2,604 |
| 4/8/26 | Event #7: $400 NLH | 390 | $128,700 | $0 | Justin Russell | Montrose, CO | $24,106 |
| 4/5/26 | Event #8: $200 NLH Bounty | 58 | $10,000 | $720 | Eric Rivkin | Laguna Woods, CA | $2,250 |
| 4/6/26 | Event #9: $200 NLH Bounty | 58 | $10,000 | $720 | Jon Orlando | Las Vegas, NV | $1,748 |
| Event #10: Satellite | |||||||
| 4/7/26 | Event #11: $200 NLH Bounty | 62 | $10,000 | $80 | Edouard Moret | France | $2,187 |
| 4/12/26 | Event #12: $800 NLH | 359 | $247,710 | $0 | Dan Heimiller | Las Vegas, NV | $47,212 |
| Event #13: Satellite | |||||||
| 4/8/26 | Event #14: $200 NLH Bounty | 50 | $10,000 | $2,000 | Jesse Whittemore | Honolulu, HI | $2,473 |
| Event #15: Satellite | |||||||
| 4/9/26 | Event #16: $200 NLH Bounty | 51 | $10,000 | $1,840 | Fabrizio Mattiacci | Italy | $2,456 |
| Event #17: Satellite | |||||||
| 4/10/26 | Event #18: $200 NLH Bounty | 59 | $10,000 | $560 | Yoeri Van Erp | Santa Rosa, CA | $1,854 |
| 4/11/26 | Event #19: $200 NLH Bounty | 50 | $10,000 | $2,000 | Nicholas Peterson | Las Vegas, NV | $2,060 |
| 4/12/26 | Event #20: $400 NLH | 60 | $20,100 | $0 | Zhongtian Jiang | Mountain View, CA | $4,837 |
| 4/12/26 | Event #21: $200 NLH Bounty | 54 | $10,000 | $1,360 | Neil Miller | Canada | $1,298 |
| 4/13/26 | Event #22: $400 NLH Seniors | 114 | $38,190 | $0 | Jason Sagle | Canada | $6,258 |
| 4/13/26 | Event #23: $200 NLH Bounty | 73 | $11,680 | $0 | Kathy Liebert | Las Vegas, NV | $1,977 |
| 4/14/26 | Event #24: $400 NLH | 68 | $22,780 | $0 | Andrew Rodgers | Henderson, NV | $6,975 |
| 4/14/26 | Event #25: $200 NLH Bounty | 65 | $10,400 | $0 | Sara Cushman | Austin, TX | $2,189 |
| 4/15/26 | Event #26: $400 NLH Bounty | 89 | $29,815 | $0 | Paul O’Brien | Australia | $3,897 |
| Event #27: Satellite | |||||||
| 4/15/26 | Event #28: $200 NLH Bounty | 67 | $10,720 | $0 | Denise Bronte | Henderson, NV | $1,869 |
| 4/19/26 | Event #29: $1,100 NLH | 225 | $216,000 | $0 | Adam Walton | North Las Vegas, NV | $46,755 |
| Event #30: Satellite | |||||||
| 4/16/26 | Event #31: $200 NLH Bounty | 94 | $15,040 | $0 | Donnell Dais | Las Vegas, NV | $2,550 |
| Event #32: Satellite | |||||||
| 4/17/26 | Event #33: $200 NLH Grinder’s Bounty | 78 | $12,480 | $0 | Anjulie Marriott | New York, NY | $2,203 |
| 4/18/26 | Event #34: $200 NLH Grinder’s Bounty | 67 | $10,720 | $0 | Donnell Dais | Las Vegas, NV | $1,488 |
| 4/19/26 | Event #35: $400 NLH | 54 | $20,000 | $1,910 | Andrew Rodgers | Henderson, NV | $6,597 |
| 4/19/26 | Event #36: $200 NLH Bounty | 39 | $10,000 | $3,760 | Jesus Ayala | Porterville, CA | $2,563 |
| 4/24/26 | Event #37: $250 NLH | 711 | $142,200 | $0 | Mehdi Saleh | Campbell, CA | $17,477 |
| 4/20/26 | Event #38: $200 NLH Bounty | 79 | $12,640 | $0 | Michael Ocampo | Los Angeles, CA | $2,139 |
| 4/21/26 | Event #39: $200 NLH Bounty | 60 | $10,000 | $400 | George Ribeiro | Las Vegas, NV | $1,800 |
| 4/22/26 | Event #40: $200 NLH Bounty | 75 | $12,000 | $0 | Istvan Keller | Las Vegas, NV | $2,428 |
| 4/23/26 | Event #41: $200 NLH Bounty | 109 | $17,440 | $0 | Evan Klerner | Las Vegas, NV | $1,729 |
| 4/24/26 | Event #42: $400 NLH | 77 | $25,795 | $0 | James Lee | La Crescenta, CA | $4,010 |
| 4/24/26 | Event #43: $200 NLH Bounty | 65 | $10,400 | $0 | Keoki Ongoy-Moore | Las Vegas, NV | $1,539 |
| 4/27/26 | Event #44: $300 NLH | 396 | $100,000 | $4,960 | Jeffrey Kostyniuk | Canada | $15,032 |
| 4/27/26 | Event #45: $400 NLH | 61 | $20,435 | $0 | Stephen Sola | Las Vegas, NV | $5,547 |
| 4/27/26 | Event #46: $200 NLH Bounty | 59 | $10,000 | $560 | Dean Payne | Canada | $1,900 |
| 4/28/26 | Event #47: $400 NLH Bounty | 61 | $20,435 | $0 | Eric Mizrahi | Las Vegas, NV | $3,689 |
| 4/28/26 | Event #48: $200 NLH Bounty | 62 | $10,000 | $80 | Michael Guerrini | Seaford, NY | $1,814 |
| 4/29/26 | Event #49: $400 NLH Seniors | 96 | $32,160 | $0 | Anthony Reategui | Las Vegas, NV | $8,935 |
| 4/29/26 | Event #50: $200 NLH Bounty | 53 | $10,000 | $1,520 | Jeffrey Kostyniuk | Canada | $2,374 |
| 4/30/26 | Event #51: $400 NLH | 88 | $29,480 | $0 | Greg Garabedian | Pasadena, CA | $8,513 |
| 4/30/26 | Event #52: $200 NLH Bounty | 75 | $12,000 | $0 | Dylan Sprague | Las Vegas, NV | $2,077 |
| 5/1/26 | Event #53: $400 NLH Bounty | 54 | $20,000 | $1,910 | Deiter Prussing | Palmetto Bay, FL | $3,379 |
| 5/1/26 | Event #54: $200 NLH Bounty | 51 | $10,000 | $1,840 | Caleb Durham | North Platte, NE | $1,788 |
| 5/5/26 | Event #55: $250 NLH | 856 | $171,200 | $0 | Bryan Rushton | Canada | $15,000 |
| 5/5/26 | Event #56: $400 NLH | 67 | $22,445 | $0 | Dan Abouaf | France | $6,872 |
| Event #57: Satellite | |||||||
| 5/5/26 | Event #58: $200 NLH Bounty | 57 | $10,000 | $880 | Garrett Hannig | St. George, UT | $1,649 |
| 5/10/26 | Event #59: $800 NLH | 310 | $213,900 | $0 | Sebastian Crema | Canada | $42,674 |
| Event #60: Satellite | |||||||
| 5/6/26 | Event #61: $200 NLH Bounty | 66 | $10,560 | $0 | Richard Kline | Zephyr Cove, NV | $1,949 |
| Event #62: Satellite | |||||||
| 5/7/26 | Event #63: $200 NLH Bounty | 56 | $10,000 | $0 | Casey Dunaway | Wingo, KY | $1,796 |
| Event #64: Satellite | |||||||
| 5/8/26 | Event #65: $200 NLH Bounty | 57 | $10,000 | $880 | John Trudewind | Huntersville, NC | $1,955 |
| 5/9/26 | Event #66: $200 NLH Bounty | 59 | $10,000 | $560 | Kevin Matter | Las Vegas, NV | $1,482 |
| 5/10/26 | Event #67: $400 NLH | 52 | $20,000 | $2,580 | Denis Zimmerman | Switzerland | $5,390 |
| 5/10/26 | Event #68: $200 NLH Bounty | 55 | $10,000 | $10,000 | Jay Shimshack | Charlottesville, VA | $1,892 |
| 5/14/26 | Event #69: $250 NLH | 724 | $144,800 | $0 | Roberto Bianchi | Argentina | $22,710 |
| 5/17/26 | Event #70: $400 NLH Seniors | 271 | $100,000 | $10,570 | Barry Shulman | Las Vegas, NV | $18,044 |
| 5/14/26 | Event #71: $200 NLH Bounty | 58 | $9,280 | $0 | Kevin Matter | Las Vegas, NV | $1,507 |
| 5/15/26 | Event #72: $200 NLH Bounty | 31 | $4,960 | $0 | Ghassan Abou Khalil | Lebanon | $1,200 |
| 5/16/26 | Event #73: $200 NLH Bounty | 32 | $5,120 | $0 | Samy Dighlawi | Temecula, CA | $1,378 |
| 5/17/26 | Event #74: $400 NLH | 60 | $20,100 | $0 | Robbin Hamilton | Henderson, NV | $5,285 |
| 5/17/26 | Event #75: $200 NLH Bounty | 33 | $5,280 | $0 | Nathan Robinson | North Las Vegas, NV | $957 |
What’s Coming Up?
The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is also ramping up its poker programming with more than $16 million in guarantees this year. Now through August 2, the 2026 Venetian DeepStack Championship will feature 121 numbered events.
Highlights on the schedule include:
- June 6-10: $1,100 NLH $1 Million guarantee
- June 11-14: $1,100 Seniors NLH $1 Million guarantee
- June 19-22: $1,600 Seniors NLH $1.5 Million
- June 30-July 2: $2,500 NLH LIPS Ladies High Roller $150K guarantee
- July 11-14: 1,100 NLH MSPT $1 Million guarantee
- July 15-19: $1,600 NLH MSPT $1 Million guarantee
The schedule is up from last year’s 116 events, which catered to approximately 30,000 combined entries (29,266 to be exact) and awarded $29,860,175 in prize money. There were six events with over 1,000 entrants, and the series attracted a solid mix of local grinders, top-level high-stakes pros, tourists from all over the world, and recreational players.
*Images courtesy of Venetian Poker.
Chad Holloway
PR & Media Manager