WSOP in Turmoil: Millionaire Maker Champion Under Investigation for Alleged Chip Dumping Scandal

The 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) faces a major scandal after this year's $1,500 Millionaire Maker event ended in controversy. Jesse Yaginuma pulled off a dramatic heads-up comeback against James Carroll—but the bracelet and $1,255,180 first-place prize have not yet been officially awarded, as WSOP organizers investigate allegations of chip dumping.

The Millionaire Maker is known for its life-changing prizes. This year, nearly 12,000 players joined the field. Yaginuma’s victory story looked like classic poker drama: entering heads-up play at nearly a 10-to-1 chip disadvantage, he rallied to claim the title.

But there was even more at stake. With a win, Yaginuma was also in line to receive an extra $1 million bonus from ClubWPT Gold—a promotion designed for players who won a WSOP bracelet while holding a Gold Rush ticket.

Crucially, this bonus applied only to players who had that special ticket. In this heads-up match, only Yaginuma was eligible. Carroll could not have received the bonus even if he had won the bracelet.

That difference in incentive became a focal point for controversy, as fans and poker pros on social media and watching the PokerGO broadcast immediately began questioning whether the match was truly being played in good faith.

Chip dumping refers to one player intentionally losing chips to another to help them win—a clear violation of the integrity of poker tournaments. The WSOP rulebook is explicit:

“Poker is an individual game. Chip dumping and other forms of collusion will result in disqualification.”

In this case, the alleged motive would have been simple: ensuring Yaginuma's victory would trigger the $1 million bonus that he alone was eligible to claim.

Several hands in the heads-up drew particular scrutiny from the poker community.

One of the most discussed came with blinds at 1.5 million/3 million. Yaginuma limped the button with J♣8♠, and Carroll raised big to 13 million holding 6♣3♦. Yaginuma called.

The flop fell 10♣5♣J♠. Carroll, the preflop aggressor, led for 17 million, and Yaginuma called. Both players checked the 7♣ turn. On the Q♠ river, Carroll fired a massive 57 million bet. Yaginuma called once more to scoop the 174-million-chip pot, seizing the chip lead just half an hour after facing a 10-to-1 deficit.

Other hands raised additional questions. In one, Yaginuma limped with 9♣8♥, Carroll raised to 13 million with Q♥6♣, but quickly folded to Yaginuma’s 32 million three-bet. In another, Yaginuma opened to 8.7 million with 8♠7♣, Carroll three-bet to 23 million holding 8♣3♦, then instantly folded to a 42 million four-bet.

These repeated patterns of big raises followed by easy folds with marginal holdings fueled suspicions that Carroll may have been deliberately surrendering chips—particularly given he stood to gain nothing from the ClubWPT Gold bonus regardless of the outcome.

The backlash was immediate. Notable poker personalities such as Eric "Barstool Nate" Nathan and Joe Stapleton criticized the match on social media. Stapleton called it a “total embarrassment,” while two-time bracelet winner Mark Seif went even further, describing it as “deplorable outright cheating” and “another terrible look for poker.”

Meanwhile, ClubWPT Gold—the site offering the $1 million bonus to eligible players—confirmed they had launched their own internal review into the matter.

WSOP officials released a statement acknowledging the situation:

“Last night, we were made aware of a potential breach of the official WSOP Tournament Rules during heads-up play in Event 53. An investigation is underway. At this time, 1st and 2nd place have not been confirmed, and neither the prize money nor the bracelet have been officially awarded.”

As long as the investigation continues, the payout and the title remain unresolved.

Poker has faced accusations of collusion and unethical play before, but the WSOP is the game’s most prestigious stage—widely watched even by casual fans who might not follow the game regularly. It’s a crucial showcase for the sport’s reputation.

A scandal of this scale threatens to undermine trust in poker’s fairness and the WSOP brand itself.

It also raises a difficult question for the industry: do third-party bonuses and promotions risk creating dangerous incentives for collusion—especially when only one player in a heads-up match can benefit from such a massive payout?

If the investigation confirms chip dumping, disqualification and redistribution of the prize money would follow. If no wrongdoing is found, Yaginuma could walk away with over $2.2 million total, including the ClubWPT Gold bonus.

Given the scale of the backlash, WSOP officials are treating the investigation as a top priority—and are expected to reach a conclusion quickly.