Ten-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Ivey isn’t in Melbourne. He’s not even in Australia. He’s actually on the other side of the world in London taking on Crockfords Casino in the gambling court case of the decade.
Ivey’s massive £7.7m case against Crockfords is finally going to court. Earlier today Ivey appeared in the High Court in London to defend the edge-sorting technique he used to fleece the casino for millions in baccarat.
In his opening statement Ivey told the court he would never cheat in a casino and that he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t look for weaknesses in the way the casino runs its games.
Even thousands of miles away poker players in Melbourne for WSOP APAC have been following the case.
Crockford's Reputation Could Take a Hit
Twenty-seven-year poker veteran Gary Benson has been around the gambling industry long enough to know that you take whatever advantage you can get in the casino.
“If he was smart enough to sort the edges than good luck to him,” he said.
“I think he should be paid. I think he should win the case.”
Benson, who has years of experience in the gambling industry, thinks Crockfords is playing a dangerous game by refusing to pay Ivey.
“I wouldn’t want to play at a casino that has a reputation for not playing their players,” he said.
“Who would?”
Shack-Harris: Ivey Was Adamant He Did Nothing Wrong
Meanwhile Brandon Shack-Harris, who is currently leading the WSOP’s Player of the Year, is amazed it’s taking this long for the case to go to court.
“From what I’ve read it seems like it’s the responsibility of the casino,” he said.
“It seems like he got away with it for a long time. If something was off it’s the casino’s job to do its due diligence. I feel like they ****ed up. Lesson learned I guess. It’s hard to hate on a guy who’s just trying to find edges. Especially against a casino.”
Shack-Harris wasn’t surprised Ivey stuck to his guns on the issue.
“I was in a PLO tournament with him and he said he wasn’t going to settle,” he said.
“He didn’t feel like he did anything wrong. He was pretty adamant about that. It really seems like the casino is more at fault I suppose. It’s not fair to be reverse freerolled like that.”
One of Ivey’s closest friends in poker, Daniel Negreanu, has already made it very clear what he thinks of casinos withholding funds from their customers.
Negreanu blasted Borgata for trying to sue Phil Ivey for $9.6 million because of the same edge-sorting technique. He wrote on Twitter:
"Borgata, you thought Ivey was stupid and you tried to bury him. He hustled you, smoked you, and left you feeling silly. Stand responsible!”
“No one in the world has empathy for Borgata in this. Stop playing victim because YOUR hustle wasn't as good as Ivey’s.”
Ivey’s case in London’s High Court is still pending.
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