Daniel Negreanu has reacted to the ongoing controversy at the 2025 WSOP, which centers around potential chip dumping at the final table of the $1,500 Millionaire Maker event.
In a recent vlog, Negreanu said that he’s “disgusted for several reasons by some of the hysteria and some of the lack of gravity” around the issue.
He also stated that the investigation is currently with the Nevada Gaming Control Board and that he won’t say more until a resolution is officially announced.
WSOP withholds prize money
Following the final table of the Millionaire Maker, the WSOP announced that it was withholding prize money from the first- and second-place players while an investigation is carried out into any breach of rules.
Eventual winner Jesse Yaginuma came back from a 9–1 chip deficit against James Carroll to win his fourth bracelet. He also scooped a $1 million bonus put up by rival operator ClubWPT Gold – and it’s this element that has caused the controversy, with many players pointing to suspicious play during heads-up. You can read a much more detailed explanation of what happened here.
The investigation and any resolution are now likely to be tiered, starting with the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) at the top, and then Caesars as the license holder and the WSOP as the operator and brand owner. The NGCB's resolution will have a huge impact on what is ultimately decided by both Caesars and the WSOP, which are separate entities after GGPoker bought the WSOP brand last year.
PokerOrg contacted the NGCB, who responded to say, "As a standard regulatory practice, the Nevada Gaming Control Board does not comment on confidential investigatory matters, including whether an investigation is or is not occurring."
Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll at the Millionaire Maker final table.
Negreanu — 'I have a lot to say'
Negreanu started off his vlog on Sunday by talking about the WSOP, stating that it “brings the people, the chase for the bracelets, and the glory.”
He said that other companies piggyback on that huge mass of players that the WSOP brings into Vegas each summer and that in a capitalist society, that’s “totally within their right.”
Negreanu then moved specifically into Millionaire Maker territory.
“I have a lot to say about certain topics that happened recently,” Negreanu said. “I have so much to say because I'm a little disgusted for several reasons by some of the hysteria and some of the lack of gravity.
“I want to go down this road. I do, but at the same time I don't… You know what? Let's put it aside for now. Maybe we will revisit it later this week when a resolution has been finalized and everybody can calm down.”
Negreanu said more in his latest vlog on Monday.
“I'm not going to lie, I shot about three different videos that I’ve deleted so far," Negreanu said. "I’ve got a lot to say. But what makes the most sense ultimately… is when there’s a resolution, wherever Nevada Gaming decides to go. I promise you will hear my thoughts as soon as a resolution has been reached.”
Daniel Negreanu has a lot of things to say about the Millionaire Maker chip-dumping scandal.
Negreanu — reading between the lines
Player reaction has been mixed, but there’s been an overwhelming call on social media for the WSOP to pay the two players involved and to start facilitating deals.
The latter feels like an adjacent issue given that the WSOP would never agree to chops that include the bracelet, meaning that it would not have solved the issue in the Millionaire Maker, where Yaginuma needed an outright win to claim the $1m bonus.
Other players have said that the WPT promotion may have influenced all of the players at the final table and actively incentivized chip dumping.
Negreanu, as a GGPoker ambassador, would always be expected to take the WSOP line, but his involvement with the World Series goes way back, and he was keen to point that out in his vlog.
The WSOP runs the biggest tournament series, and the bracelet is the most coveted prize in poker. The WSOP Main Event is the single biggest event in the poker world, and the $50K Poker Players Championship is arguably the most prestigious outside of that.
Negreanu obviously has strong feelings, and, reading between the lines, the WPT, game integrity, and the sanctity of the bracelet and competition are going to be central to his views when they’re finally unleashed.
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