WSOP Prohibits Players From Third-Party Competition

The newly released 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) rules included a notable prohibition on accepting money from third-party entities independent of the WSOP that could influence results.

The exact language of the rule, listed as Rule 40e, officially states:

Host properties will penalize any act that, in the sole and absolute discretion of Host Properties, is inconsistent with these WSOP official tournament rules or the best interests of the WSOP tournament. Such act includes, but is not limited to, the participant accepting any payment or prize from a third-party person or entity based on the outcome or results of any WSOP event, in which case the participant shall forfeit all of the WSOP prize money.

The ‘ClubWPT Gold Rule’

The reason this rule was added for 2026 is pretty easy to deduce. Let’s call it the ClubWPT Gold rule.

The 2025 Millionaire Maker ended in big controversy, as Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll played a suspicious heads-up battle that saw Yaginuma rally from a huge chip deficit to win the bracelet. Alarm bells immediately went off for everyone watching Carroll lose pot after pot to Yaginuma. Some observers noticed an apparent pattern, with Carroll choosing odd or even bet sizes corresponding to the strength of his hand. After an investigation, the WSOP determined that it was chip dumping and collusion. The WSOP stripped Yaginuma of his bracelet, although it allowed both players to keep their winnings.

The reason for the collusion is exactly what the WSOP is trying to avoid happening again with the new rules. The two players allegedly conspired to let Yaginuma win because he was enrolled in the ClubWPT Gold ticket promotion and stood to win an extra $1 million if he took down the event. The presumption is that there was an agreement to split the bonus money if Carroll allowed Yaginuma to win.

Outside of the obvious rivalry between the WSOP and WPT that colored this controversy, it also brought up issues with tournament integrity in the face of such powerful outside influences. That’s an issue that the WSOP is now trying to stamp out.

What Else is Prohibited?

The rule does not specify that a single specific gimmick or promotion is prohibited. That leads to the question of what else falls under the purview of this new rule.

Every year at the WSOP, there are many outside competitions in addition to the tournaments themselves. Things like player drafts, dream teams, bracelet bets, and last longer bets among friends could, in theory, get a player disqualified from a WSOP event under the letter of the law.

The 25K fantasy competition has been a mainstay of the WSOP for some of the most notable players for many years. Players and fans alike track the results to determine which team will win large payouts. That competition certainly falls under the “accepting any payment or prize from a third-party person or entity based on the outcome or results of any WSOP event.”

How much will the WSOP enforce these rules in the event that the third-party competitions influence the results? The absolute and sole discretion wording has some players worried that it could be enforced arbitrarily across the many side bets likely to occur at the 2026 WSOP.

Jeffrey McMillan

Poker Writer

Jeffrey is an Expert Sports and Poker Writer with poker being his specific scope for the better part of five years. He has worked in various capacities at the biggest poker events in the world, WSOP, EPT, local tournaments and more. He has worked with PokerNews, Poker.Org, 888poker and the WSOP itself through the years. Jeff is also a fervent follower of many sports, professional, collegiate and international, with a particular interest in tennis. He received a Master's in Sports Management from the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) and a Bachelors in the same field from Clemson University.