A British gambling venue is refusing to pay poker player Phil Ivey his GBP7.7 million in winnings, claiming that he won by cheating.

Although a talented poker player, American gambler Phillip Ivey doesn’t shy away from other casino games either. Like high-stake baccarat, for example. The game brought him almost GBP8 million in winnings in August 2012, when he risked as much as GBP1 million of his own money at a casino in London.

The Crockfords club – the venue where Ivey won the money over his two-day visit – has refused to pay out claiming that the poker player had cheated and duped the croupier, with the help of his companion Cheung Yin Sun.

The American gambler responded by slapping the casino with a lawsuit. While admitting that he had used a technique known as edge sorting, which allows players to predict the order of the cards, Ivey and his lawyers firmly believe that this is nothing but a legitimate strategy that casinos can guard against.

Mirror Online: Casino won’t pay out £7.7MILLION winnings to ‘cheating’ poker star Phillip Ivey

Richard Spearman, who represents the professional poker player, said Ivey should not be held responsible for the casino’s “mistake”.

“The technique of edge sorting involves nothing more than using information that is available to any player by viewing the backs of the cards… and making requests of the casino, which it is open to the casino to accept or refuse, as to the manner in which play is conducted.”

Spearman claims that it was the gambling venue’s mistake that this turned into an advantage for Ivey, while Christopher Pymont, who represents the casino, continued to say the scheme was quite possibly “criminal”.

According to the latest gambling news, the barrister accused the poker player of using his companion to cheat. Cheung Yin Sun allegedly spoke to the dealer in Cantonese to help keep the scheme “covert” from the rest of the staff, who spoke English.

The casino staff examined the CCTV footage, interrogated the staff, and then decided not to send Ivey the money.

Belfast Telegraph: Champion poker player Phil Ivey ‘stitched up’ London casino in £7.7m winning streak, court hears

One of the best poker players in the world, Phil Ivey, was accused of having “stitched up” a reputable London casino by taking advantage of a flaw in playing cards. The poker pro sued the gambling venue, which refused to pay him the GBP7.7 million he had won in two days.

Ivey allegedly created an “air of superstition”. He insisted on wearing a lucky hat, picked a lucky Asian card dealer, and a special pack of cards. While the game of baccarat requires little skill, all this helped him tip the odds in his favor, said the casino management.

Ivey admitted that he turned a minor flaw in the cards to his advantage, but says the casino did not take the proper security measures and went along with all his requests without questioning them. This is why he exploited the casino’s failures.

“Putting it bluntly, he played, he won and they ought to pay up,” said Richard Spearman, his counsel.

Casino staff picked up on Ivey’s unusual behavior after he asked the dealer to turn around some of the cards, “like that made any difference”. But employees figured it was nothing but a superstition. “It did make a difference. They just didn’t realize,” Spearman explained.

The counsel added that Ivey’s winning streak could have been stopped at any moment simply by changing the cards, or increasing the security on the dealer, but the casino failed to take these precautions. The customer “regards this as entirely fair play,” Spearman said, adding: “If a casino fouls up from start to finish that’s the gamblers good fortune.”

On the other hand, Christopher Pymont, counsel for the casino, considers the gambler’s actions to be “highly immoral and dishonest”. “The whole point is to stitch up the casino, to fix it, when you know it’s in ignorance of what you’re doing,” he argued.

The case is expected to last a week.

Daily Mail: Nine-time world poker champion Phil Ivey accused of cheating Atlantic City casino out of $9.6MILLION ‘using defective card trick’

This is not the first time Phil Ivey has taken advantage of defective cards to turn the odds in his favor, at the same table game. A casino in Atlantic City has sued the professional poker player after he won $9.6 million, claiming that he got the money by cheating.

Ivey and an associate allegedly exploited a defect in cards to win the money, on four occasions between April and October 2012. The cards were manufactured by Gemaco Inc., a company from Kansas City, and were defective because they didn’t have a uniform pattern on the back.

According to the lawyers who represent the gambling venue, the technique of edge sorting is forbidden under New Jersey gambling laws. Ivey and his companion allegedly instructed a dealer to flip cards in particular ways, so they could tell whether it was a desirable card or not.

A British gambling venue is refusing to pay poker player Phil Ivey his GBP7.7 million in winnings, claiming that he won by cheating.

Although a talented poker player, American gambler Phillip Ivey doesn’t shy away from other casino games either. Like high-stake baccarat, for example. The game brought him almost GBP8 million in winnings in August 2012, when he risked as much as GBP1 million of his own money at a casino in London.

The Crockfords club – the venue where Ivey won the money over his two-day visit – has refused to pay out claiming that the poker player had cheated and duped the croupier, with the help of his companion Cheung Yin Sun.

The American gambler responded by slapping the casino with a lawsuit. While admitting that he had used a technique known as edge sorting, which allows players to predict the order of the cards, Ivey and his lawyers firmly believe that this is nothing but a legitimate strategy that casinos can guard against.

Mirror Online: Casino won’t pay out £7.7MILLION winnings to ‘cheating’ poker star Phillip Ivey

Richard Spearman, who represents the professional poker player, said Ivey should not be held responsible for the casino’s “mistake”.

“The technique of edge sorting involves nothing more than using information that is available to any player by viewing the backs of the cards… and making requests of the casino, which it is open to the casino to accept or refuse, as to the manner in which play is conducted.”

Spearman claims that it was the gambling venue’s mistake that this turned into an advantage for Ivey, while Christopher Pymont, who represents the casino, continued to say the scheme was quite possibly “criminal”.

According to the latest gambling news, the barrister accused the poker player of using his companion to cheat. Cheung Yin Sun allegedly spoke to the dealer in Cantonese to help keep the scheme “covert” from the rest of the staff, who spoke English.

The casino staff examined the CCTV footage, interrogated the staff, and then decided not to send Ivey the money.

Belfast Telegraph: Champion poker player Phil Ivey ‘stitched up’ London casino in £7.7m winning streak, court hears

One of the best poker players in the world, Phil Ivey, was accused of having “stitched up” a reputable London casino by taking advantage of a flaw in playing cards. The poker pro sued the gambling venue, which refused to pay him the GBP7.7 million he had won in two days.

Ivey allegedly created an “air of superstition”. He insisted on wearing a lucky hat, picked a lucky Asian card dealer, and a special pack of cards. While the game of baccarat requires little skill, all this helped him tip the odds in his favor, said the casino management.

Ivey admitted that he turned a minor flaw in the cards to his advantage, but says the casino did not take the proper security measures and went along with all his requests without questioning them. This is why he exploited the casino’s failures.

“Putting it bluntly, he played, he won and they ought to pay up,” said Richard Spearman, his counsel.

Casino staff picked up on Ivey’s unusual behavior after he asked the dealer to turn around some of the cards, “like that made any difference”. But employees figured it was nothing but a superstition. “It did make a difference. They just didn’t realize,” Spearman explained.

The counsel added that Ivey’s winning streak could have been stopped at any moment simply by changing the cards, or increasing the security on the dealer, but the casino failed to take these precautions. The customer “regards this as entirely fair play,” Spearman said, adding: “If a casino fouls up from start to finish that’s the gamblers good fortune.”

On the other hand, Christopher Pymont, counsel for the casino, considers the gambler’s actions to be “highly immoral and dishonest”. “The whole point is to stitch up the casino, to fix it, when you know it’s in ignorance of what you’re doing,” he argued.

The case is expected to last a week.

Daily Mail: Nine-time world poker champion Phil Ivey accused of cheating Atlantic City casino out of $9.6MILLION ‘using defective card trick’

This is not the first time Phil Ivey has taken advantage of defective cards to turn the odds in his favor, at the same table game. A casino in Atlantic City has sued the professional poker player after he won $9.6 million, claiming that he got the money by cheating.

Ivey and an associate allegedly exploited a defect in cards to win the money, on four occasions between April and October 2012. The cards were manufactured by Gemaco Inc., a company from Kansas City, and were defective because they didn’t have a uniform pattern on the back.

According to the lawyers who represent the gambling venue, the technique of edge sorting is forbidden under New Jersey gambling laws. Ivey and his companion allegedly instructed a dealer to flip cards in particular ways, so they could tell whether it was a desirable card or not.