WSOP Cancels Mystery Bounty Bracelet Event – 1100 Players Compensated, But Not All Are Happy

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has finally broken its silence following the abrupt cancellation of its $250 buy-in Mystery Bounty online bracelet event last Sunday. After days of mounting pressure from the poker community, the operator issued a detailed explanation and unveiled a compensation plan exceeding $550,000.

The cancelled tournament — Event #7 in this summer’s online bracelet series — had attracted 7,623 entries and built a prize pool of over $1.7 million, far surpassing its $1M guarantee. Roughly 1,100 players had advanced to Day 2, where the bounty portion of the event was set to unfold.

But within minutes of Day 2's restart, reports flooded social media: the majority of players couldn’t log in. Those who could found themselves scooping up blinds and antes from opponents stuck on the sidelines. Crucially, several bounties — including the top $100K prize — were claimed before the event was finally halted nearly two hours later.

Initial speculation pointed to geolocation issues, but the root cause appears to have been technical failures tied to the software provider, 888poker. WSOP acknowledged the glitch on social media shortly after the shutdown but waited three full days before issuing a full statement via email to affected players.

According to the email, around 60% of Day 2’s field was impacted. As a result, WSOP voided the entire Day 2 session and declared that no bracelet would be awarded.

Key elements of the compensation package include:

• Full entry fee refunds
• Players who cashed or claimed bounties keep their winnings
• The remaining prize pool will be redistributed (details pending)
• All 1,100 Day 2 qualifiers receive a $500 tournament ticket valid for 12 months

This additional $550,000 in value is set to hit player accounts within 48 hours — a significant gesture, but one that hasn’t silenced criticism.

The poker community’s response has been mixed. While some praised the swift payout and the $500 ticket, others argued it falls short given the scale of disruption. High-stakes regular Shaun Deeb publicly criticized the offer, calling it insufficient. Meanwhile, three-time bracelet winner David "ODB" Baker described the solution as “overly fair.”

Further controversy emerged as players began comparing their compensation amounts, with unverified reports ranging from $700 to $3,000, raising concerns about transparency.

Technical issues have plagued major online poker events before. GGPoker faced similar disruptions during the 2020 and 2023 WSOP Online series, and WSOP itself was forced to cancel an event last year before it even began. But the mid-play cancellation of a bracelet event — after key bounties were already claimed — sets an alarming new precedent and deals a blow to the series’ credibility.

Still, the 2025 WSOP Online Bracelet Series rolls on. Eight of 30 events are now complete, including the voided one. Another $1 million guaranteed Mystery Bounty is scheduled for June 22. Whether WSOP and its software partner can restore player confidence before then remains to be seen.