Phil Ivey latest in Crockfords dispute

The dispute between Phil Ivey, the world famous poker player and Crockfords casino owned by Malaysian gaming giant Genting took another twist recently after court filings by Mr Ivey’s lawyers said that he did actually see a flaw on the decks of the cards in his argument regarding unpaid winnings while playing Punto Banco at the swish London casino earlier this year.

Mr Ivey won £7.8 million while playing at Crockfords but the casino believed that he was cheating and did not pay out and instead only paid him his original stake of £1million. However following a report in the Sunday Mail newspaper which claims they have seen Mr Ivey’s court filings it is said that Mr Ivey was well aware of the marked cards and used it to win, it is claimed that he was not cheating but using a technique called “edge sorting” which means he looked out for decks of cards that were not asymmetrical on the back, once his companion who is only known as Kelly spotted the flaw on the newly opened decks he requested to up his stake from the normal £50,000 up to £150,000 which the casino allowed.

Crockfords claim he “acted to defeat the essential premise of the game”, but Mr Ivey is adamant that the process of “edge sorting” is legal and well-known in the casino industry. The poker pro also went on to say that many casinos allow such techniques so not to deter other big gamblers.

The argument is destined for the UK courts later this year, unless either side reaches an agreement which seems highly unlikely at present.