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Top Stories of 2025, #3: Millionaire Maker Controversy at 2025 WSOP

One of the year’s biggest controversies occurred at the end of June during the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. It involved two well-known poker pros, millions of dollars, and an alleged chip-dumping plan to take full advantage of a seven-figure promotion.

We’re talking, of course, about the controversy that came out of the 2025 WSOP $1,500 Millionaire Maker, a tournament that drew 11,996 runners, including Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll. The former had qualified for a ClubWPT Gold “Gold Rush” promotion that entitled him to a $1,000,000 bonus if he won a gold bracelet in a short list of WSOP events, including the Milly Maker.