- In the summer of 2010, Dr. Bill Chen—math PhD, personal friend, and all-around genius (although he seems to lose his cash or his phone roughly every other day)—faced the great Phil Ivey heads-up.
- During the same year when Ivey won $9.6 million at Borgata, the poker pro also won £7.7 million (approx. $11 million) playing Baccarat at Crockfords, London. However, the casino temporarily declined to pay his winnings following suspicions of him using the edge-sorting technique to improve odds.
Erik Seidel describes Ivey as possessing a 'searing intelligence.' In 2005, while playing a sparse tournament schedule, Ivey made two final tables in World Poker Tour events and two in WSOP Circuit events. Then in June, he won his fifth WSOP bracelet in a $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event.
Borgata was recently given a green light by a US District Court in New Jersey to go after Phil Ivey's assets in Nevada which the casino estimates to be $100 million.
The case date backs to 2012 when Ivey and his female companion Cheung Yin 'Kelly' Sun won close to $10 million playing baccarat at the Borgata casino using a controversial technique called '*edge-sorting*'.
Since then, Borgata has been fighting legally but so far the casino has failed to collect the $10.1 million.
Before seeking Ivey's assets in Nevada, the Atlantic City casino had tried to seek his assets in New Jersey where he has lived over the years. However, all the efforts were in vain as the casino couldn't find assets worth seizing in the Garden State. This led Borgata to go after his assets based in Nevada.
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In October 2018, Borgata upped the ante as its lawyers filed a motion claiming that they had located 'substantial' assets of Ivey in Nevada.
As per the motion filed by Borgata attorney Jeremy M. Klausner, 'Defendant Ivey has substantial assets in Nevada. That is where he lives and that is where his businesses are based. In contrast, he has no identifiable assets in New Jersey. Given the foregoing, Borgata satisfies the ‘mere showing that the defendant has substantial property in the other district and insufficient [property] in the rendering district.' As a result, good cause is shown and Borgata should be permitted to register this Court's December 15, 2016 [ruling] in the District of Nevada.'
According to the court filings, Borgata said that it had located five of Ivey's properties and businesses in Nevada including Phil Ivey Enterprises, LLC; I.V. Ventures, LLC; and Ivey Poker, LLC. The casino estimates Ivey's holdings at approximately $100 million.
Bill Ivey Poker
'Although the extent of Defendant Ivey's business holdings is unclear, it is believed that Ivey Poker, LLC is the entity behind Ivey League, Ivey's poker oriented website,' Borgata's legal team wrote.
'Ivey's holdings have been estimated at $100 million, and the above shows these holdings, at least those that are ascertainable, are based in Nevada. Ivey has also disclosed a luxury home in Cabo San Lucas, MX on his social media account. It is possible that one of Ivey's Nevada entities is the ultimate owner of this home.'
On January 29, the December 2016 judgment was approved by US District Judge Noel L. Hillman, just a day after it was submitted by Borgata's counsel.
Ivey was scheduled to appear for a deposition on January 30, though it is not known whether he attended.
Borgata is not the only casino to have fought legally over the edge-sorting case. During the same year when Ivey won $9.6 million at Borgata, the poker pro also won £7.7 million (approx. $11 million) playing Baccarat at Crockfords, London. However, the casino temporarily declined to pay his winnings following suspicions of him using the edge-sorting technique to improve odds. Ivey sued the court for non-payment of his winnings but eventually lost the case.
For a comprehensive overview of the edge-sorting case, complete with timeline, head over to this article.
LONDON -- Ten-time World Series of Poker winner Phil Ivey has lost his case against a British casino he accused of improperly withholding his winnings.
Britain's High Court ruled Wednesday that Genting Casinos UK does not have to pay him the 7.7 million pounds ($12.4 million) he was seeking. The casino's lawyers convinced the court that Ivey's use of 'edge sorting' tactics was not legitimate and that the casino did not have to pay.
The casino said he essentially kept track of card values by watching for design imperfections on the backs of the cards.
The 38-year-old Ivey said he was disappointed with the ruling.
'As I said in court, it's not in my nature to cheat -- and I would never do anything to risk my reputation,' he said in a statement. 'I am pleased that the judge acknowledged in court that I was a truthful witness by saying that, 'I am entirely convinced that Mr. Ivey did not consider that what he was doing was cheating.'
'I believe that what we did was a legitimate strategy -- we did nothing more than exploit Crockfords' failures to take proper steps to protect themselves against a player of my ability -- clearly today, the judge did not agree.'
Ivey claims he won the money during two days of playing baccarat at Crockfords, a Mayfair casino that is part of the Genting group, in August 2012.
According to the court filings, Borgata said that it had located five of Ivey's properties and businesses in Nevada including Phil Ivey Enterprises, LLC; I.V. Ventures, LLC; and Ivey Poker, LLC. The casino estimates Ivey's holdings at approximately $100 million.
Bill Ivey Poker
'Although the extent of Defendant Ivey's business holdings is unclear, it is believed that Ivey Poker, LLC is the entity behind Ivey League, Ivey's poker oriented website,' Borgata's legal team wrote.
'Ivey's holdings have been estimated at $100 million, and the above shows these holdings, at least those that are ascertainable, are based in Nevada. Ivey has also disclosed a luxury home in Cabo San Lucas, MX on his social media account. It is possible that one of Ivey's Nevada entities is the ultimate owner of this home.'
On January 29, the December 2016 judgment was approved by US District Judge Noel L. Hillman, just a day after it was submitted by Borgata's counsel.
Ivey was scheduled to appear for a deposition on January 30, though it is not known whether he attended.
Borgata is not the only casino to have fought legally over the edge-sorting case. During the same year when Ivey won $9.6 million at Borgata, the poker pro also won £7.7 million (approx. $11 million) playing Baccarat at Crockfords, London. However, the casino temporarily declined to pay his winnings following suspicions of him using the edge-sorting technique to improve odds. Ivey sued the court for non-payment of his winnings but eventually lost the case.
For a comprehensive overview of the edge-sorting case, complete with timeline, head over to this article.
LONDON -- Ten-time World Series of Poker winner Phil Ivey has lost his case against a British casino he accused of improperly withholding his winnings.
Britain's High Court ruled Wednesday that Genting Casinos UK does not have to pay him the 7.7 million pounds ($12.4 million) he was seeking. The casino's lawyers convinced the court that Ivey's use of 'edge sorting' tactics was not legitimate and that the casino did not have to pay.
The casino said he essentially kept track of card values by watching for design imperfections on the backs of the cards.
The 38-year-old Ivey said he was disappointed with the ruling.
'As I said in court, it's not in my nature to cheat -- and I would never do anything to risk my reputation,' he said in a statement. 'I am pleased that the judge acknowledged in court that I was a truthful witness by saying that, 'I am entirely convinced that Mr. Ivey did not consider that what he was doing was cheating.'
'I believe that what we did was a legitimate strategy -- we did nothing more than exploit Crockfords' failures to take proper steps to protect themselves against a player of my ability -- clearly today, the judge did not agree.'
Ivey claims he won the money during two days of playing baccarat at Crockfords, a Mayfair casino that is part of the Genting group, in August 2012.
'Crockfords is pleased with the judgment of the High Court today supporting its defense of a claim by Mr. Ivey,' the casino said in a statement. 'It is our policy not to discuss our clients' affairs in public and we very much regret that proceedings were brought against us. We attach the greatest importance to our exemplary reputation for fair, honest and professional conduct and today's ruling vindicates the steps we have taken in this matter.'
The ruling also could pose trouble for Ivey in his legal battle with the Borgata Casino in New Jersey.
Borgata is suing Ivey for the $9.6 million he won using the same controversial edge-sorting technique while playing mini-baccarat in 2012. The two sides are scheduled to have a telephone status update Nov. 10, with depositions expected to continue until July 2015.
Bill Ivy Poker
Edge-sorting is a technique in which players use flaws in the designs on backs of cards to identify them in advance. At Crockfords and Borgata, Ivey requested a specific brand of cards, purple Gemaco, be used. He had a companion -- a woman identified in court documents as Cheng Yin Sun -- instruct the dealer to rotate specific cards in certain directions, effectively sorting the deck to make the design flaws stand out. He played for anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000 per hand, court documents show.
Bill Ivey Poker Player
Information from ESPN.com's David Purdum and the Associated Press was used in this report.
