Poker Writer
The new era of WSOP leadership and media coverage came in with a bang and received initial good reviews, but in recent days, the vibe has become more negative as players have begun pointing out several issues at the 2026 WSOP. The list of gripes is familiar: excessive rake, inexperienced dealers, poor structures, and a lack of parking. However, some feel that the series is worse than ever in thos regards.
Jeff Platt took on a role as the face of the WSOP this year. Even though his focus has been on the media side of the WSOP, he has become the de facto target for all questions, comments, and gripes about the series. To his credit, Platt has been very responsive to the complaints.
Bracelet winner Jared Jaffee brought the various complaints to a head:
Probably time someone just said it clearly and didn’t pussyfoot around because @jeffplatt is a nice guy…..the rake has never been higher…. The quality of the dealers has never been worse…. Parking is an abomination …. The structures have never been worse.
His comment drew widespread agreement among several players and sparked a discussion of the multiple issues that have plagued the first couple of weeks of the series. To an extent, it’s inevitable that the series will lose its luster for players who are running poorly, as the buy-ins and losses mount. However, even if some of the bitterness is personal in that way, there is also validity to many of the complaints.
Dealer Issues Persist
Dealer issues are a consistent part of every WSOP. The challenge of providing thousands of dealers to work the thousands of tables means using many inexperienced ones. The 2025 WSOP had a plethora of issues and several dealer-related controversies.
In an attempt to avoid the same issues, the WSOP introduced a new dealer system on the WSOP app for the 2026 WSOP. But many believed that the system would only increase the pressure on dealers and not properly reward the best ones.
The issues with dealing have apparently not significantly improved, according to many. Brandon Mueller pointed out multiple dealer errors he has witnessed. He said he was never tilted busting at the Wynn until he arrived at the WSOP and saw the dealing.
Greg Himmelbrand stated that he is not really feeling the same FOMO feelings he usually does based on the dealer horror stories he has heard. Others have also said that the dealer rating system has done little to actually improve the baseline quality of dealing.
Then there was the dealer error at the $10,000 GGMillions High Roller final table that went viral.
Worse Structures
Speaking of Himmelbrand, his talk with PokerScout in February about the new structure of the Monster Stack highlights another of the main complaints: poor structures.
Of course, tournament structure is partially a matter of personal preference. Still, the shallowness of so-called “Deepstack” events came to the forefront when one final table saw only 17 big blinds in front of the chip leader.
Late registration has also come under fire, with many players saying that it has gone too far. Critics on that front include four-time bracelet winner David Baker, who said it should be eliminated for the good of the game. However, GGPoker is known for using every trick in the tournament organizer’s book to maximize the number of registrations, so we’re unlikely to see things move in the opposite direction any time soon.
The $25,000 High Roller saw more Day 2 late entries than one of the opening flights, creating an odd inverted tournament dynamic in which players intentionally waited as long as possible to enter.
The Parking Labyrinth Crisis
Another occurring issue at the WSOP has been the parking crisis at the Paris parking garage. This issue may be the most significant, as it appears to be the most frequently complained about and affects players of all levels.
Adam Hendrix’s post on X was just one of many about it that got the most attention:
This @WSOP parking garage is getting dangerous. People are busting tournaments, losing their minds waiting at the parking gates. As the summer progresses wouldn’t be surprised if some bad incidents that happen.
The crux of the issue is that the garage gates often do not rise for cardholders, leading to long delays as many players try to leave the garage at the same time after tournaments end. Players leaving the venue after a bust-out are likely to be in a worse-than-average emotional state and may be poorly equipped to deal with any further frustration.
From personal experience from last year, I had an employee parking pass from the WSOP itself that always worked. Also, the flexibility I had as a reporter allowed me to leave during non-rush hours, so I never encountered the same issues.
However, players often have to leave in large numbers at the exact same time. Many have said their diamond cards never work, leading to long delays as they await assistance.
Platt has promised to fix this issue, but ultimately, he has little control over the mechanics of the Caesars-owned casino’s parking garage.
There have been more issues beyond these and not all reviews are negative, but these have been the most consistent across the board.
Photo Credit: Dominicia Quinto / WSOP
