Poker champion Phil Ivey won $11.7 million at Crockfords Casino in London. He’s still waiting for his money.
According to the Huffington Post , Ivey, who has won the Poker World Championship 8 times, won his $11 million playing a Baccarat variation called Punto Banco. Punto Banco is a “no-skill” game. Winners and losers are chosen purely by the luck of the draw.
That’s why the famous London casino is a little suspicious about Ivey’s $11 million streak. The casino decided that it would return the money that Ivey put into the game, $1.6 million, but decided to withhold his winnings.
According to ABC , Ivey lost $80,000 during his first night at the casino. After that, he walked the casino floor with a “beautiful companion” and went on an impressive streak that ended with over $11 million in winnings. Crockfords said that Ivey’s unidentified companion had her membership revoked by another casino.
It’s unclear if the casino is accusing Ivey, or his companion, of cheating.
Lance Bradley of Bluff magazine said that the situation is even more strange because Ivey has a “spotless reputation.”
Bradley said:
“There’s nothing in his past that would hint at his being a cheater or unethical in any way … People say he’s arguably the best poker player in the world; but, really, there’s no argument: He’s #1. He’s known both for his skill and for his love of high-stakes games. He loves anything where there’s some sexiness at stake.”
Do you think Phil Ivey cheated? Should the casino pay him his $11 million?