04 Jul 2025 The seven-figure payouts from Event #53, the $1,500 Millionaire Maker, will go to Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll. This move is one of the most controversial decisions the WSOP has made in recent years. However, the WSOP has declared that they will not award any bracelet for the event, which has sparked considerable debate within the poker community. The WSOP has made this decision for the first time in response to accusations of collusion. The Controversy The dispute began at the very end of the event when Yaginuma was down 9-1 in chips to Carroll in heads-up play. He then pulled off an incredible comeback to win what would have been his fourth WSOP bracelet and an extra $1 million bonus from ClubWPT Gold. Carroll, on the other hand, was supposed to win more than $1 million for finishing in second. However, poker fans who watched the stream were quick to notice something was wrong. Several hands appeared suspicious, with passive play, questionable folds, and what many perceived as deliberate chip-dumping. People on Reddit and Twitter were full of rumours that the two pros, who have over $9 million in combined live earnings, had made a deal to let Yaginuma receive the extra $1 million bonus he was only eligible for. WSOP's Verdict: No Winner, No Bracelet The WSOP announced its ruling in a tweet on July 1 after an internal investigation: The investigation into WSOP Event 53 has been completed. We have concluded that in order to uphold the integrity of the game and to uphold our official WSOP Tournament Rules, no winner will be recognized and no bracelet will be awarded for this year's tournament. The remaining… https://t.co/giL0Ij9Cwj — WSOP - World Series of Poker (@WSOP) July 1, 2025 This ruling indicates that something went wrong, but it doesn't directly accuse either player of cheating. Without a question, the WSOP lawyers were in a tough spot. It would be challenging to prove collusion to the level required to retain the money, and this could lead to lawsuits from either the suspected players or other individuals who finished in the money. Poker Community Reacts There are different opinions in the poker world about the decision, but many people think the WSOP made the right choice. User justice393 summed up the perceived trade-off: Comment byu/ASG_82 from discussion inpoker Another user, superfire444, agreed: Comment byu/ASG_82 from discussion inpoker Still, some questioned the logic of allowing the money to be paid out while refusing to award a title. User TallOrange offered a good explanation: Comment byu/ASG_82 from discussion inpoker To put it another way, you can split the cash. We cannot award prestige if there is no spirit of competition. What Did the Players Get? Both players received the expected amount of money. Yaginuma received $1,255,180, plus the $1 million bonus from ClubWPT, and Carroll received $1,012,320. Many people wonder if the two of them had a secret deal or agreement to share the profits. As McLovinGTO jokingly put it: Comment byu/ASG_82 from discussion inpoker If Yaginuma had won, he would have been pleased to wear rings for four years in a row, which is a fantastic run in WSOP events. His name won't be on the records, which is a shame because he got more this year than any other recognised bracelet winner. ClubWPT’s Bonus and the Bigger Picture Only contest winners could win the ClubWPT Gold $1 million bonus, a special prize. It was the second time this year that a player won a qualifying game and got the award. Michael Lavin won event #20. This reward may have altered the ultimate goal of the Millionaire Maker. The integrity of heads-up play is at risk when a cash prize is added that can only be won by one of the two final players, and both players are aware of this. As Pandamoanium8 observed: Comment byu/ASG_82 from discussion inpoker The WSOP's decision to split the prize pool instead of giving out bracelets could set a precedent for how poker's governing bodies handle similar situations in the future. Players can handle their money as they choose, but we want to stress that any form of title abuse is not acceptable, even if it seems like a minor issue. Regardless of how people in the poker community feel about this finding, it's clear that the integrity of the game's biggest events and every deal, no matter how small, is being closely monitored.
