It started like any other high-stakes poker day in Las Vegas. The buzz inside the Horseshoe was electric, players sliding into their seats with dreams of gold bracelets and six-figure payouts. But for one table at Event #83: $2,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em, Day 2 began with confusion—and a bizarre twist that would leave players, dealers, and fans scratching their heads.
As the cards hit the felt at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP), a dealer error led to two players beginning the day with swapped chip stacks. One of them, unknowingly playing with significantly more chips than he had bagged the night before, managed to double up before the issue was noticed. The mistake sparked controversy, but also showcased sportsmanship rarely seen at this level of competition.
Let’s break down what happened, who was affected, and why this mix-up became one of the strangest stories of the summer.
A High-Stakes Mistake: How the WSOP Bag Mix-Up Happened
Friday’s Day 2 restart of the $2,500 Freezeout event drew 247 players back to the tables from an original field of 1,299. As the floor crew announced “shuffle up and deal,” Demetrius Campbell was just a minute late to take his seat. When he arrived, something felt off.
Campbell noticed his stack was missing approximately 60,000 chips. He had ended Day 1 with 272,000, but the pile in front of him was visibly shorter. Understandably alarmed, he flagged the dealer and requested a floor ruling.
At first, it seemed like a simple chip count issue. But as it turned out, it was much more serious.
The Hidden Drama: A Double-Up With the Wrong Stack
Meanwhile, at the same table, Mykola Kostyrko, a Ukrainian player seated to Campbell’s immediate right, was in the midst of a crucial hand. He went all-in holding pocket kings, and Ran Ilani called with ace-queen. The kings held, giving Kostyrko a key double-up that could’ve helped propel him deep into the tournament.
Only one problem: Kostyrko wasn’t playing with his own chips.
When staff began investigating Campbell’s missing stack, they quickly realized the root of the issue: the dealer had accidentally switched the players’ chip bags before play began. Kostyrko had started with Campbell’s 272,000 stack, while Campbell received Kostyrko’s 202,000. The mistake meant that Ilani—the losing player in the hand—had paid a much larger amount than he should have.
Poker Integrity Tested: No Easy Fix
At this point, the situation turned delicate. The floor staff was called in, and surveillance footage was reviewed. The error was confirmed—an unintentional bag swap by the dealer.
But several hands had already been played by the time the mistake came to light, including the one where Kostyrko doubled. Tournament rules generally prohibit retroactively altering chip stacks or reversing action once significant gameplay has occurred.
The result? Ilani’s stack remained damaged, and Campbell was left short despite bagging more chips the day prior. The WSOP staff, citing the timing of the discovery, ruled that the action would stand and no chips would be restored to Ilani.
A Class Act: Kostyrko Steps Up
Then, something extraordinary happened. Kostyrko—who had unknowingly benefitted from the error—voluntarily gave chips back to Campbell to make him whole. While not required to do so, this act of integrity showed just how deeply players at the WSOP respect the game and each other.
Kostyrko’s move did not fix Ilani’s situation, but it did help balance out the impact of the mistake and ease tensions at the table.
All three players—Campbell, Kostyrko, and Ilani—managed to make the money, surviving the money bubble which burst around 2:30 p.m. PT when the 196th-place player was eliminated. At the time of reporting, all were still in contention.
WSOP Staff Response and Policy Limitations
While some fans on social media have criticized the WSOP for not compensating Ilani, industry veterans know the ruling was consistent with how major live tournaments handle such incidents.
Once hands have been played and stacks have shifted, reversing the action is often impossible without further distorting the tournament’s integrity. Surveillance footage can help determine how an error occurred, but it rarely offers a solution once chips are exchanged and cards have been mucked.
That said, this incident has reignited conversations around improving dealer protocols, especially in large-field events where mistakes can have amplified consequences.
What’s at Stake: Freezeout Final to Award $449,245
Despite the drama, the event moves forward. The $2,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em event will play down to a winner on Saturday, with $449,245 and a coveted WSOP gold bracelet awaiting the champion.
It’s a prize worth fighting for, and all eyes will be on whether any of the three players involved in Friday’s drama can use the moment as fuel to run deep.
Final Thoughts: A Reminder of the Human Element in Poker
Poker is a game of precision, logic, and odds—but it’s also deeply human. Mistakes happen. What defines the community isn’t perfection, but how people respond when things go wrong.
Kostyrko’s gesture to repay Campbell wasn’t just a classy move—it was a reflection of the character and sportsmanship we hope to see at the highest levels of poker. And while Ilani may have drawn the short straw in this situation, his composure adds another layer of respect to an already complex tale.
The 2025 WSOP has seen controversy, triumph, and heartbreak. But on this particular day, it also reminded the poker world that even in a game driven by chips and cards, integrity still matters most.
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