The legitimacy of a World Sequence of Poker comeback for the ages is being questioned after 1000’s of viewers watched a 16-to-1 chip benefit systematically disappear in a manner that’s making folks ask: “What the hell was that?”
On the floor, the reply is that they watched Jesse Yaginuma comeback from eight massive blinds to win his third WSOP bracelet in dramatic model by seemingly enjoying completely in opposition to two-time World Poker Tour champ James Carroll, who performed the a part of a street kill sufferer within the $1,500 Millionaire Maker.
The 2 had been every assured no less than $1 million for being the final gamers within the occasion that attracted a file 11,996 entries — however Yaginuma additionally carried with him a WPT Gold ticket he gained by means of a promotion the web poker sweepstakes platform ran. Yaginuma gained his ticket in a nacho consuming contest.
That ticket was price a further $1 million to Yaginuma if he may in some way pull-off the comeback.
And proper after mid-stakes banger Josh Reichard was eradicated in third place after enjoying pocket threes poorly, that’s precisely what occurred.
So did the gamers make a deal through the prolonged break after Reichard was eradicated, or did Yaginuma merely play excellent poker in opposition to Carroll, who melted underneath all these lights and cameras?
UPDATE: The WSOP made this replace on its socials late this morning:
“Final evening, we had been made conscious of a possible breach of the official WSOP Match Guidelines throughout heads up play in Occasion 53. An investigation is underway. Right now, 1st and 2nd place haven’t been confirmed and neither the prize cash nor the bracelet have been formally awarded.”
“Flummoxed”
Yaginuma began the heads-up match by making among the finest folds a participant may make with their event life on the road. After the match began with some backwards and forwards, this hand passed off (round 3:24:35 of the published).
Yaginuma, underneath 10 massive blinds, limped from the small blind with 75, and watched Carroll examine to see the flop give him high pair with a flop of TT7.
However there was downside. Carroll held T6 for journeys.
“It’s over proper? I assume that is it, proper?” stated announcer David Tuchman.
Carroll wager 4 million, and it didn’t take lengthy for Yaginuma to seek out the heroic fold.
“Hey, does Carroll have some type of loopy dwell inform?” speculated his accomplice, Joe Stapleton.”I don’t suppose I ever seen somebody fold high pair with seven massive blinds to 1 wager.”
“I don’t get it,” Tuchman agreed. “I’m completely flummoxed. I imply, that’s essentially the most inane fold I ever seen. I don’t get it.”
That left Yagimura with 18.3 million chips to Carroll’s 281.6 million with the blinds at 1.2/2.4 million. However the comeback was on and the poker world watched as Yaginuma repeatedly made Carroll fold whereas avoiding dealing with elimination — or a lot of any push-back from Carroll, who occurred to herald a really strong 11-6 file in heads-up play to this occasion.
Yaginuma then discovered a double-up after hitting two-pair on the river in a hand that performed out as anybody would anticipate it to, regardless that his event life was in danger.
However there have been additionally different palms the place, if Carroll occurred to get up with one thing, Yagimura would have been in danger, but it surely by no means occurred. As a substitute, Yugimura continued to chip up again and again, folding the palms he was behind in, as each gamers performed passively.
As the published continued and the announcers watched Yagimura construct his stack, they start dropping hints they thought one thing was not fairly proper, like citing skilled wrestling whereas expressing disgust on the high quality of play.
It should be stated that that is all hypothesis. Yaginuma straight denied the accusation the 2 gamers had a deal to Poker.org afterwards, regardless that he admitted that they had a chat.
Apparently, the WSOP took down all of the tweets celebrating Yaginuma’s victory. As for the WPT and if it should pay the bonus, the poker large stated “We’re trying into the matter.”
The WSOP has nothing to do with the WPT bonus, and might’t be glad about this sort of detrimental consideration and drama that’s being brought on by this example. If collusion did happen and was confirmed, the WSOP may take the intense step to disqualify the gamers, as per its guidelines. The WSOP has but to touch upon this (Word: They did after publication).
That is an ongoing story.
