WSOP Adds New Rule After 2025 ClubWPT Gold Bracelet Dispute

World Series of Poker officials have changed the 2026 rulebook after the ClubWPT Gold controversy from last summer. The new language targets outside prizes tied to WSOP results.

Good to Know

• Rule 40(e) bans third-party payouts based on WSOP event results.
• The change follows the James Carroll and Jesse Yaginuma dispute in the 2025 Millionaire Maker.
• The rule could also affect public bracelet bets between poker players.

New Rule Targets Outside Prizes

The 2026 WSOP now gives tournament officials a clear way to block another ClubWPT Gold-style promotion.

Rule 40(e), part of the tournament integrity section, says players cannot accept outside payments or prizes from a third party based on the result of any WSOP event. A player who does so can lose all WSOP prize money. If the money already went out, WSOP host properties can demand its return with interest.

The language follows one of the biggest poker controversies of the 2025 WSOP. In the $1,500 Millionaire Maker, James Carroll and Jesse Yaginuma reached heads-up play for a bracelet and more than $1.25 million. Carroll held a large chip lead, but Yaginuma later won the event and also qualified for a $1 million ClubWPT Gold bonus because he wore the site patch.

Social media quickly questioned several heads-up hands. WSOP officials investigated, withheld the bracelet, split the top two payouts between the finalists, and later banned both players from future events.

Rule 40(e) now removes the incentive at the center of that dispute. A future player cannot take a bonus, promotion payout, product prize, or similar reward tied to a WSOP finish.

However, the rule may reach beyond online poker promotions. The wording also appears to cover bracelet bets, a common side wager among high-volume tournament players. Those bets may still happen privately, but public versions now carry far more risk.

The change follows a pattern. After the 2024 Main Event debate around Jonathan Tamayo and rail assistance, WSOP officials adjusted the rules. Now, after the Yaginuma and Carroll case, another rule update arrives.

WSOP also added language around pay jump stalling. Rule 80 says players who intentionally burn time or use time banks to climb the payout ladder can face shorter clocks or penalties.

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