Phil Ivey, commonly recognized as the best poker player alive, has been making the headlines recently but unfortunately, the reasons were not too fascinating. Ivey got involved in a huge scandal and was accused of making attempts to win a great sum of money by using dishonest tactics and strategies.
Matters were taken into the London High Court and the judges decided that the claims of Crockfords Casino are reasonable. However, it seems like Ivey has not given up on protecting his reputation. In a number of interviews, he insisted that “It was not in his nature to cheat”. His defender reassured the members of the Court that there was nothing wrong, immoral or illegal with the strategy. Nevertheless, the judges were reluctant to accept that standpoint, which led to Ivey’s decision to continue the battle despite the final say of Judge Justice Mitting.
Matthew Dowd, the lawyer of Phil Ivey, confirmed that the poker pro has objected the decision and filed the papers necessary. Down added that Ivey is just trying to prove that the so called “edge sorting” was not a form of cheating. Phil was convinced that his tactics was not illegal and therefore Crockford’s Casino arguments don’t hold water.
The disagreement between Ivey and the Crockfords Casino has been lasting for two years. In the summer of 2012 Ivey won a significant sum of money but the casino authorities refused proceeding with making the payment and accused him of making attempts to cheat instead.
Last year, the player commented that he was disappointed with Crockford’s authorities who left him no other choice but to continue the battle. The disagreement between Ivey and the Casino has become the case that was discussed by all media in the UK.
After several casino hearings, the High Court of London ruled against Ivey. The judge, responsible for taking the tough decision, considered the technique, commonly recognized as “edge sorting” to be incompatible with the civil law.
However, Ivey pleaded not guilty. On the contrary – he was truly convinced that the technique he had used in order to become a winner was absolutely compatible with the gambling etiquette and it has to be freely used by players all over the world.
Ivey admitted that keeping his inner peace as well as his reputation untarnished are the two factors that are much more important than adding a sum of money to his bank account. He considers himself to be dishonestly treated.
Although Phil Ivey would make the impossible to clear his name, that is not the first case when the poker player has been accused of cheating. A few months ago, the Atlantic City – based Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa filed a lawsuit against him and withheld the award he has won. Instead of paying Ivey nine and a half million US dollars, the casino authorities accused him of taking advantage of a defect in the playing cards for his own benefit and having used a variation of the “edge sorting” method.
