12 Jun 2025 During Event #28, Tyler Brown experienced some surprising drama in the $600 Mixed No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack at the 2025 WSOP. Brown was the chip leader, with about 30 players remaining from a field of 1,499, when the floor staff started a regular chip color-up, a normal part of the WSOP rules. The goal was to remove the smaller-denomination chips from the game. Brown, on the other hand, didn't like how the process was going. Even though he had already coloured up 2 million chips, he still wanted to keep some of his smaller ones. Brown refused to colour up all three million chips when his staff told him to do so, and this led to the situation getting heated very quickly. Many people who saw what happened, including Brown himself, say he lost it and cursed at a staff member, saying they weren't completely honest about the request. Later, Brown admits, "I may have yelled an expletive." The situation became tense. Penalty and disqualification threat The argument got so intense that the game had to be stopped. The floor staff removed Brown from the game to calm him down and imposed a one-round penalty. Furthermore, they also warned him that continuing the dispute could result in his elimination from the tournament. It didn't bother Brown that he was taken out for one round. "But then they said they would DQ me, which I found crazy." Not having enough big blinds? Okay. I didn't think it had to go that far, though. Even though there was a dispute, Brown was able to calm down and never lost the chip lead. He won the event, taking home $178,126 and his second WSOP bracelet, almost two years after his first. Brown talked about what happened on social media after the win and promised to keep things calm for the rest of the WSOP series. He wrote, "I'll be on my best behaviour." He also said he got along well with most WSOP staff, even after the earlier disagreement. ">http:// ">I'm going to be on good behavior the rest of the series. There's too many people I get along with on the staff and don't want it going nuts. Already hearing it everywhere ">— Tyler Brown (@TheBestPanda00) June 10, 2025 Poker Community weighs in The online poker community on Reddit had mixed reactions to what happened: scottatu: Comment byu/-AstralSlide- from discussion inpoker Jetto: Comment byu/-AstralSlide- from discussion inpoker poloplaya shared strong frustrations: Comment byu/-AstralSlide- from discussion inpoker Meanwhile, others emphasized the need to comply: luckyjim1962: Comment byu/-AstralSlide- from discussion inpoker NoBadPen attested from experience: Comment byu/-AstralSlide- from discussion inpoker WSOP Rules Rule 106 of the WSOP rules makes it clear that the floor staff controls the denominations of the chips and can make color-ups on the spot, which should be stated. Brown admitted this, said he had never turned down a color-up before, and knew the rules. He said his objection was to the execution mid-hand and the failure to accept his proposition. The floor's claim that he hadn't offered a compromise, which was different from what other players said, made the disagreement worse. Before things worsened, SCCG Management said, "Brown allegedly accused the staff of lying." Wrapping Up This incident shows how the competition rules and players' feelings often clash tensely. Chip color-ups are a regular part of keeping things going smoothly, but they must be done carefully, especially in the middle of a hand. The dispute worsened because of Brown's strong response and the staff's firm stance.
