Banned WSOP Milly Maker Winners Seated Near Each Other in EPT Main Event

Two poker gamers who have been banned from the World Collection of Poker (WSOP) for collusion through the Millionaire Maker occasion sat shut to one another on Monday within the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona Fundamental Occasion.

Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll made nationwide headlines in June for chip dumping throughout heads-up play in Occasion #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker, as the previous stood to obtain a $1 million bonus from ClubWPT Gold if he have been to win the bracelet.

Yaginuma would go on to win the event, however the WSOP decided that chip dumping occurred and refused to award the gold bracelet. Each gamers have been subsequently banned from the collection. They’re again in motion, this time in Spain.

What are the Odds?

The banned poker professionals, each Individuals, have only one mixed reside event money because the Milly Maker, and that was a $2,200 rating from Yaginuma earlier this month in Florida.

Day 1b of the €5,300 EPT Barcelona Fundamental Occasion, on the time of publishing, had over 250 entrants. However the two gamers who created the largest controversy of the 2025 WSOP simply so occurred to search out themselves seated behind one another at close by tables.

PokerNews is reside reporting the event at On line casino Barcelona and hasn’t but seen a lot chatter between the poker professionals or every other gamers on the desk discussing the Milly Maker scandal. Yaginuma and Carroll every registered a number of ranges into the session.

Carroll began off his Day 1 flight robust and had reached 100,000 chips, greater than triple his 30,000-chip beginning stack, with the blinds at 300/600. Yaginuma, on the time of publishing, was additionally above beginning stack at 40,000.

Yaginuma and Carroll, following the WSOP’s investigation, every acquired $1,133,750 within the Milly Maker, splitting first and second place cash. The WSOP discovered that Carroll, who held a 9:1 chip lead at one level, dumped chips to make sure Yaginuma would win so he might earn the $1 million facet bonus from ClubWPT Gold.

ClubWPT Gold agreed to pay Yaginuma the cash though he wasn’t awarded the bracelet. It is unclear what kind of deal they organized. Neither has spoken publicly concerning the scandal because the event ended on June 25. The incident attracted mainstream information consideration, together with a number of experiences from ESPN.

The EPT Barcelona Fundamental Occasion Day 1b session will run till Degree 10 concludes. Day 1a on Sunday attracted 715 entrants, with 221 advancing to Day 2, which takes place on Tuesday.

*Characteristic picture courtesy of David Salituro.