Tournament Final of WSOP Millionaire Maker: No Champion Declared Due to Alleged Chip Manipulation
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Millionaire Maker event held on July 1, 2025, ended controversially after an investigation revealed suspected chip-dumping and possible collusion between Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll during heads-up play.
The investigation, which has since been completed, found that Carroll made several unconventional folds and raises that facilitated Yaginuma’s chip comeback. This raised immediate accusations of soft-playing, a practice aimed at securing the $1 million ClubWPT Gold bonus tied to first place.
Yaginuma, who won the event, will not receive a winner's bracelet. Instead, the prize money will be split between the two players. The WSOP did not accuse Yaginuma and Carroll of collusion, but their decision implies impropriety. As a result, both players have received lifetime bans from Caesars properties.
Key findings included Carroll folding strong or playable hands quickly to Yaginuma’s four-bet shoves and unusual betting patterns that seemed designed to transfer chips rather than compete aggressively.
The incident sparked significant controversy and debate within the poker community about the rules prohibiting final-table deals and the structural incentives that led to this behavior. Some observers viewed the evidence as circumstantial, noting that aggressive chip shifts sometimes occur naturally in heads-up poker. However, the WSOP’s decisive action underscored the seriousness of the accusations.
It remains unclear whether Yaginuma’s actions violated the terms of the ClubWPT promotion. Similarly, it is unclear whether Yaginuma will receive the $1 million bonus from the WPT. Casino.org has contacted the WPT for comment on whether they plan to revise the promotion to prevent scenarios that could unintentionally incentivize collusion.
James Carroll's play during heads-up was perceived as uncharacteristically passive. A notable instance was when Carroll jammed all-in with pocket aces preflop, a move some believe may have discouraged action. Carroll three-bet with 8-3 offsuit, a notoriously weak hand, before folding to a four-bet.
The WSOP concluded that the tournament integrity needs to be upheld, leading to no bracelet being awarded. The remaining prize pool will be split between Yaginuma and Carroll. Many suspected a backroom deal existed to engineer a Yaginuma win, but the WSOP investigation found no evidence to support this claim.
[1] WSOP Official Statement: [Link] [2] PokerNews Coverage: [Link] [4] Bluff Magazine Analysis: [Link]
- Jesse Yaginuma's victory in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Millionaire Maker event on July 1, 2025, was met with controversy as an investigation revealed suspected chip-dumping and possible collusion between him and James Carroll during heads-up play.
- The investigation found that James Carroll made several unconventional folds and raises that facilitated Jesse Yaginuma’s chip comeback, raising accusations of soft-playing, a practice aimed at securing the $1 million ClubWPT Gold bonus tied to first place.
- Despite not being accused of collusion, both Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll received lifetime bans from Caesars properties due to their actions during the tournament.
- The WSOP concluded that the tournament integrity needs to be upheld, leading to no bracelet being awarded. The remaining prize pool will be split between Yaginuma and Carroll.
- The incident sparked significant debate within the poker community about the rules prohibiting final-table deals and the structural incentives that led to this behavior, with some observers viewing the evidence as circumstantial. Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether Yaginuma’s actions violated the terms of the ClubWPT promotion.
