Two poker players who engaged in £730k 'chip dumping' scandal given bans

Poker players Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll have been banned for chip dumping following their involvement in a collusion scandal. Yaginuma triumphed over Carroll at the final table of the World Series of Poker's $1,500 Millionaire Maker in Las Vegas last month.

A statement from WSOP released on Monday declared that there would be no winner and no bracelet awarded, with the first and second place prize money being divided equally. That resulted in both players pocketing £828,000, but the controversy arises from the £730,000 bonus that Yaginuma earned on top.

Rumours of a potential ban began to swirl online shortly afterwards, with PokerOrg confirming a lifetime ban from Caesars properties and, with that, the WSOP in Las Vegas. It remains unclear whether the duo will also face bans from other non-Caesars WSOP events such as WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas in December.

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Yaginuma seemed set for celebrations, having at one point held less than 10% of the total chips in play before staging an extraordinary comeback to clinch his victory. He appeared to have scooped the main prize of just over £915,000, along with an extra £730,000 thanks to a ClubWPT Gold promotion.

Of the two heads-up players, only Yaginuma was eligible for the ClubWPT Gold promotion, having secured a Gold Rush ticket from the sweeps coin poker site. That meant he was entitled to the bonus if he won the tournament.

But swathes of online fans noticed some dubious hands in the heads-up match that raised eyebrows.

Carroll, who pocketed a runner-up prize of around £750,000, was accused of making several puzzling decisions as the finale reached its climax. His behaviour was deemed particularly odd given that he had previously built up such a substantial lead.

Chip dumping in poker is when a player intentionally loses hands to favour their opponent. It's done to transfer funds to one's opponent, either through deliberate folding or irrational betting.

One of the most contentious hands saw Yaginuma take the lead for the first time after winning a pot with 174m chips at stake. With the blinds set at 1.5m and 3m, Yaginuma called the big blind pre-flop with a Jack (clubs) and an eight (spades), prompting Carroll to raise to 13m with a six (clubs) and a three (diamonds), which his opponent called.

The flop produced a 10 (clubs), five (clubs) and Jack (spades), leading Carroll to bet another 17m, which was called again. Both players checked when a seven of clubs came out on the turn, then raised the stakes once more when Yaginuma called Carroll's 57m bet after the river produced a Queen (spades).

GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu discussed the bans on , stating the decision was made by Nevada Gaming and Caesars and had nothing to do with the WSOP.

The WSOP in Vegas is set to run at Caesars properties for another 19 years, however, with Negreanu adding: "They’re not going to be able to play the World Series for I don’t know how long.”

So far, neither player embroiled in the controversy has released a public statement addressing the bans. Yaginuma was interviewed by ClubWPT Gold about the bonus payout, where he said: “It’s been amazing; it’s been a wild ride. When I actually realised I had a chance, it was surreal. It was exciting, of course, and it felt like an out-of-body experience.”

The ClubWPT Gold's social media confirmed they would honour the £730,000 prize despite there being no official winner, increasing the number of Gold Rush tickets it gave out.