The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has decided not to recognize a winner for the $1,500 “Millionaire Maker” No-limit Hold’em tournament after accusations of collusion surfaced. The investigation followed suspicious behavior during the heads-up play between professional players Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll. Viewers suggested that Carroll was intentionally losing chips to Yaginuma, a practice known as “chip dumping,” which violates WSOP rules against collusion.
As a result, the WSOP has chosen not to award the winner’s bracelet, and the remaining prize pool will be divided between the two players. Despite this decision, Yaginuma will still receive a $1 million bonus from ClubWPT Gold, a rival poker promotion associated with the World Poker Tour, as part of a previously arranged promotion. This bonus is independent of the WSOP’s findings.
The “Millionaire Maker” event attracted nearly 12,000 participants, with the first and second prizes originally set at $1,255,180 and $1,012,320, respectively. Yaginuma is a seasoned player with multiple WSOP online event wins and significant career earnings, while Carroll is a well-established player with numerous accolades, including World Poker Tour titles and WSOP Circuit rings. Despite the controversy, both players’ professional records remain noteworthy.