Joined: Jan '11
Location: United States
Age: 60 (M)
Posts: 3361
By now, you would think casinos are used to paying Phil Ivey. The eight-time World Series of Poker champion has made millions of dollars throughout his gambling career, but at the moment he could be more than $10 million short.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Ivey recently won $11.7 million playing a game called Punto Blanco at Crockfords, an upscale casino in London. The game involves no skill and is simply won and lost by the cards the dealer hands out, and Crockfords is reportedly witholding the money Ivey won on the game after he went on a massive heater.
Ivey apparently requested that the money be deposited into his bank account, but Crockfords has only returned his original bankroll of $1.6 million. The Daily Mail reported that Phil initially lost $800,000 when he began playing the game, but then he and a female companion went on a two-night hot streak. The lady with whom he was gambling reportedly had her membership revoked by another casino previously.
Investigators have flown to London to speak with employees from Crockfords and review surveillance cameras. Ivey and his lady friend reportedly never touched the cards, and the situation is said to have turned into an “increasingly tense stand off” with lawyers from both sides working to sort through it.
Could Ivey and his friend have worked together to win $11.7 million at a game of chance? Unfortunately, I know nothing about Punto Blanco or cheating a casino and I only understand crazy bets like this one and this one, so I can’t say. On one hand you can see why the casino would be suspicious. On the other you have to wonder how Ivey would have pulled off such a job.
Joined: Apr '11
Location: Romania
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 6669
Green this is a repost mate, there was already a news about this here on the bankrollmob site...
Still, as i said in that post too i think the truth is on the middle on this one, first the casino said that ivey had to play a minimum amount of time before leaving the game
Joined: May '08
Location: Lithuania
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 10090
yeah this was posted before, but still an amusing story. as Macubaas say both parties have their arguments, but if it is so- why the hell casino did pay out over a million to ivey- if they find him guilty of something then don't payout a cent of give all the money? and from ivey's perspective- why didin't he played enough? maybe he would've lost a few millions more, but still would've been way ahead
Joined: Mar '09
Location: Greece
Age: 47 (F)
Posts: 14136
If he has actually taken money that belonged to Full Tilt Players, this might be considered, as some sort of payback. Getting paid with the same coin, is always a thrill for me. But he needs to pay also for his actions while in FT. Wonder if all those players now that FT is going to come back will be granted access.
Joined: Mar '09
Location: Greece
Age: 47 (F)
Posts: 14136
I didnt know anything about those share accounts. First time i hear something like this. Isnt that against the rules in general, or not? Or the rules only apply to the "regular" players. And you are saying that this thing happens on Poker Stars too?
