A Wild Finish Sparked an Internet Firestorm — Then Chris Moneymaker Stepped In
The 2025 WSOP Colossus wrapped up in dramatic, chaotic fashion, and the internet did what the internet does best: assumed something had gone wrong.
Justin Smith walked away with a $550,000 bracelet and the Colossus title, but the manner in which the final hand played out looked strange enough to send poker Twitter into a spiral of doubt and second-guessing. Clips and screenshots circulated quickly, with many observers convinced the wrong player had been declared the winner.
Enter Chris Moneymaker — PokerOrg ambassador, 2003 WSOP Main Event champion, and one of poker's most recognizable public voices. Moneymaker moved swiftly to address the confusion head-on, making clear that Smith's victory was legitimate. The finish was wild, not wrong.
Why This Moment Matters
Incidents like this highlight how quickly misinformation can spiral in the age of short-form video and out-of-context clips. A bizarre-looking hand at a major final table is exactly the kind of moment that gets stripped of its nuance and shared without explanation — and the damage to a winner's reputation can happen faster than any official statement can travel.
The fact that a credible figure like Moneymaker stepped in publicly to correct the record is a meaningful reminder of why having knowledgeable voices in the poker media ecosystem matters. Smith earned his bracelet, and the story of how he won it — however unconventional it appeared — deserves to be told accurately.
For the full breakdown of what actually happened at the Colossus final table, and why Moneymaker felt compelled to weigh in, the PokerOrg report is essential reading.