Did Chip Dumping Occur with $1 Million Bonus at Stake During WSOP Final Table?

Jesse Yaginuma pulled off a wild comeback on Wednesday night at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) to win a gold bracelet, which normally would be celebrated by the poker community. But the victory has become controversial as many poker players have made allegations of chip dumping during heads-up play.

The champion took down Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker for $1,255,180. He also received an extra $1 million from a ClubWPT Gold promotion. Yaginuma won a Gold Rush ticket from the sweeps coin poker site, which made him eligible for the seven-figure bonus if he were to take down a qualifying WSOP event.

James Carroll, the second-place finisher, earned $1,012,320 as a consolation prize. But social media blew up during the PokerGO livestream with players accusing the heads-up opponents of chip dumping to allow Yaginuma to win the tournament so that the $1 million bonus would be awarded.