A high-stakes drama unfolded deep in a 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) event, where a prominent player was penalized following a confrontation with tournament staff. The player in question is 2023 bracelet winner Tyler Brown, who received a one-round penalty during Event #28 for swearing at a floor manager after a dispute over a chip color-up.
What Sparked the Confrontation?
The incident occurred with only about 30 players remaining from a large field, with Brown positioned as one of the chip leaders vying for the more than $178,000 first-place prize. According to Brown, the conflict began when tournament staff approached him mid-level to color up his chips, requesting every chip that wasn’t a 100k denomination. Brown stated he offered a compromise to exchange 2 million in chips but keep two stacks of greens, a proposal the staff reportedly refused.
The Official Ruling: Penalty for Expletives, Not Refusal
WSOP staff clarified that the penalty was not issued for the refusal to color up his chips. Instead, he was sent to the rail because he told a floor manager to “go f**k himself.” This verbal outburst was the direct cause of the penalty.
Brown’s Perspective on the Penalty
Despite the threat of a potential disqualification, Brown said he wasn’t concerned, believing the tournament had no grounds to disqualify him over the color-up situation. He ultimately accepted the one-round penalty, reflecting, “I shouldn’t have said what I said. I’m okay losing two big blinds.” He felt that the staff escalated the situation unnecessarily. Following the penalty, Brown still retained a large stack and continued his run in the tournament.
