A supplier error might have performed a serious function within the end result of the $500 Colossus on the World Series of Poker this week. In the primary hand of heads-up play, Miles German and Justin Smith had been battling for $550,000 and the gold bracelet.
German, who sat on the quick stack, picked up 8♠8♦ and introduced all in for his final 190 million chips. Smith had 585 million chips and regarded down at A♠Okay♥. He made the decision for a 400 million-chip pot. He then started packing his bag, apparently in an effort to swing some luck his means and hopefully have his pocket eights maintain up.
It wasn’t meant to be, although, as Smith rivered a flush, cementing his victory.
However, social media customers later realized the supplier mistakenly dealt to the participant on the supplier button first, who was German. If the deal had been appropriate, the fingers would have been reversed and German would have received the 400 million-chip pot.
That would have introduced German nearly even with Smith, who would have been left with 415 million.
Error Possibly Costs Player A Gold Bracelet
“Call me old fashioned but shouldn’t the button be dealt last?” Nicholas Rigby mentioned on X/Twitter. “Crazy the ‘last’ hand would be reversed and the shorter stack should have doubled in the WSOP Colossus.”
Instead, German collected $367,000 for runner-up and was left contemplating what may need been. The error may have doubtlessly price the participant from Boca Raton, Florida, $183,000 and a gold bracelet.
From an ICM perspective, the hand was price practically $100,000. If German received the hand and the ultimate two gamers chopped (which may’t occur in a WSOP occasion), Smith would have obtained $460,184 and German would have received $456,815.
Watch the hand play out under:
Call me quaint however shouldn’t the button be dealt final? 🤯🤯🤯
Crazy the “last” hand could be reversed and the shorter stack ought to have doubled within the WSOP Colossus pic.twitter.com/IinOnmHjuq
— Rigby (@GTO_Diaper) June 17, 2026
Despite the state of affairs, this marked the most important money of German’s profession. He now has $405,998 in match winnings. Smith topped a subject of 16,269 entries and now has $598,996 in match winnings.
Mixed Reactions
The episode resulted in some blended views amongst poker gamers and followers on social media. Some felt the misdeal was not a serious challenge as a result of the fingers had been nonetheless successfully random.
“I don’t really understand why everyone is making such a big deal about this Colossus dealing error heads up,” poker professional Michael Gagliano famous. “Random cards are random. Let’s just always deal the one seat first. This already happens in all the stud games and it’s not an issue. Why are flop games special; it just causes more unnecessary misdeals?”
David Williams usually agreed with that assertion, including that nothing could possibly be finished as soon as the hand was full.
Bc persons are dumb and outcomes oriented. 3 folks ought to have observed. Dealer and each gamers. And how do we all know one of many gamers (or each!) observed however appreciated their hand so didn’t converse up. It’s why you possibly can’t do something after the hand. Also random is random.
— David Williams (@dwpoker) June 17, 2026
Some had been astonished at how issues performed out with a serious swing in winnings and the way a lot EV (anticipated worth) modified fingers.
unbelievable 200k+ swing cus the playing cards acquired dealt to the fallacious gamers feels like a @larbnosaj publish https://t.co/maXJJGwKw3
— Jesse (@d0wnsideofme) June 17, 2026
Sam Greenwood identified that errors are commonplace on the WSOP and no person must be shocked.
https://t.co/3LL0DWXBT2 pic.twitter.com/NtYnHOjsfY
— Sam Greenwood (@SamGreenwoodRIO) June 17, 2026
Poker Pro Blames WSOP
English poker participant Patrick Leonard mentioned the problem ought to have been noticed and corrected by WSOP employees. It’s not merely the supplier’s fault.
He identified that neither participant observed and didn’t assume there’s any recreation integrity points at play because the fingers had been nonetheless random.
“For me it’s not (just) a dealer mistake,” he mentioned. “It’s a floor mistake. It’s the first hand of heads-up, I think the floor should always be around to administer and oversee. What else can they be doing at this point? If it’s 60 hands into heads-up and he needs to go get a water or whatever, sure, but [it’s] always strange to me how floors aren’t super present at a final table catching any error, etc.”
Gabriel Ramos rebutted that view with a World Cup reference. He didn’t assume it must be vital for a ground to look at each second of heads-up play.
“This would be the equivalent of FIFA overseeing referees during or at the start of matches,” he mentioned. “It’s expected that the person put in the position is a seasoned officiant/dealer.”
As of Thursday morning, WSOP officers hadn’t commented on the misdeal.
