The WSOP has confirmed to PokerOrg that it has opened an investigation into marked cards in Event #15 of the 2024 WSOP, the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better (8-Handed).
That comes after complaints were made by players on X, including reigning WSOP Online Player of the Year Mike Holtz.
We spoke with Holtz and the WSOP to find out what happened.
On Day #9 of the 2024 WSOP, a woman in the nine-seat at Mike Holtz’s table noticed something strange about the flop.
“Both of those aces are marked,” she told the table, according to Holtz in an interview with PokerOrg.
The flop was ace-ace-seven, and the game was Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, where players get four cards and the pot is split between the high hand and the low.
The table waited for the hand to finish and according to Holtz, the woman went on to prove her point.
“She took out both decks and, without looking at them, pulled out every ace, deuce, three, and four with 100% accuracy,” Holtz said.
Holtz described the cards as “slightly bent in the middle," and the only cards affected were the critical low cards, the A-4.
Mike Holtz, poker podcast co-host and reigning WSOP Online Player of the YearWSOP responds
PokerOrg couldn’t identify this player for a follow-up, but Holtz told his side of the story on Twitter/X, adding that he was initially told by the floor that the WSOP were not going to investigate.
Talking on X, he said, "I said you’re going to investigate, right? She [the floor] said no, we don’t do that. I said, Wait, we found two decks with every relevant card marked, and you don’t think that’s important to check cameras? She said, no, we don’t do that, we’re not going to investigate it."
After another player said something similar had happened to him in the same event, Holtz replied, saying, "So unacceptable."
Talking with PokerOrg, Holtz said that he'd since been told that an investigation would take place.
This was confirmed to PokerOrg in a statement from the WSOP. The statement read:
“Integrity of the game is of the utmost importance to the WSOP, and we take these and any similar allegations seriously. We did, in fact, open an investigation into the PLO8 event, and while we do not comment publicly on security protocols to keep them effective, we do appreciate players continuing to inform tournament staff of any irregularities they observe.”
What happened?
Not everything can be attributed to malice or cheating, so it’s fair to consider other options.
Cards are handled poorly by players throughout the day and deformities happen naturally. Marked and deformed cards are frequently switched out by request and examined by floor staff, and entire decks are replaced if necessary. The lifecycle of a WSOP deck can be less than a day, with dealers getting fresh cards every morning.
The pattern of marked low cards can also be attributed to the game. PLO8 incentivizes players to stay in a hand with lower cards like A-4, so they will be peeled more frequently than other cards.
The WSOP uses Copag, a brand that makes 100% plastic cards out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC, or vinyl), the same material used to make credit cards and IDs. It’s a high-strength plastic that is resistant to chemicals and most inks. The cards also don’t absorb oils like paper would, making them good for rooms that allow food at the table. They're difficult to bend, but not impossible, and a test of a deck from 2023 created a similar mark with some aggressive peeling of a four-card hand.
Cheating can’t be ruled out either, however, and there are many ways to go about it, so it will always be a difficult problem to solve. The results of the investigation will likely not be made public, and the WSOP will never disclose its preventative measures, but vigilance and awareness start with the players. If you see something, say something.
