Players Cry Foul as WSOP.com Glitch Short-Changes Jon Borenstein

July 24th, 2019 | by Jason Reynolds

WSOP.com could be in hot water after an apparent technical glitch led to one MTT player receiving the wrong amount of chips following an all-in showdown.

An apparent technical error on WSOP.com caused one player to receive fewer chips than he expected during an online MTT. (Image: WSOP.com)

As per a July 21 tweet from Jon Borenstein, the payout error left him with a smaller stack than expected. The incident comes following another successful World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas.

WSOP.com Software Miscalculates Pot

Hey @WSOPcom @WSOP anyone there want to explain how I managed to lose chips on this hand w 40 left in your Sunday major???? pic.twitter.com/GDhmlgoJBw
— Jon Borenstein (@JBoishere) July 22, 2019

Reviewing the footage (see video above), one player is clearly all-in when the community cards are dealt. Said player eventually wins the hand but, according to Borenstein, they received more chips than they should have.

The incident happened with 40 players left and has since prompted an investigation by WSOP.com. While there is no suggestion the New Jersey online poker site was trying to cheat Borenstein, the hand does raise questions over the quality of its software.

Blinds: 2,000/4,000 + 500 ante

Pot before the betting starts = 10,500 chips

Action folds to XcrazylegsX who moves all-in for 4,346 chips.

Action folds to bewater who raises to 16,000 from the small blind.

Borenstein aka jetsfan14 re-raises just over 44,000 chips and bewater folds.

Following the above action, the main pot should have been 17,538. That’s the maximum amount XcrazylegsX could hve won from the hand.

The side pot between the blinds should have been 23,308 i.e. a 16,000-chip raise and a call (32,000), minus 8,692 chips (two lots of 4,346 based on the all-in from XcrazylegsX).

Borenstein went on to lose the hand. However, based on his stack at the start and the size of the side pot, he should have made a small profit.

Instead, he went from 175,252 to 170,906. As per the calculations, he should have ended the hand with 178,212 chips (154,904 chips after the pre-flop betting plus 23,308 the side pot).

Meanwhile, XcrazylegsX should have scooped 17,538 and not just over 29,000 chips.

Legal Obligations Prompt Investigation

Whatever the reason for the error, WSOP.com has said it will investigate. Aside from being a regulatory obligation, the prospect of a lawsuit has spurred the software team into action.

Reading through the comments on Borenstein’s post, Mac VerStandig said he would help. A poker player and partner at VerStandig Law Firm, he has experience in dealing with these matters.

Thanks, @KatieStonePoker. @JBoishere: We take care of situations like this fairly often. I’m hiding in the Cali. mountains this week, decompressing from the WSOP, but if you reach out to @MollyAnneMossey @ 301-444-4600 or [email protected], she can find a time for us to discuss.
— Mac VerStandig (@mac_verstandig) July 22, 2019

For its part, WSOP.com said that all problems should be reported via email rather than Twitter. However, as is the culture these days, potential misdemeanors always surface on social media before filtering through the proper channels.

Although some have been quick to accuse WSOP.com of foul play, the chances are slim. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) is one of the toughest in the US with regards to regulations.

While a deliberate error can’t be ruled out, the online poker site will now conduct a “thorough” investigation to prove that’s not the case. Indeed, as the home of the WSOP’s online bracelet events, WSOP.com will want to iron out any issues as quickly as possible.