Ivey To Discuss Casino "Cheating" Allegations

Published on 2014-10-02 23:32:00

Phil Ivey on 60 Minutes Sports - Television ShowThe notoriously private Phil Ivey will be appearing on "60 Minutes Sports" on Showtime next Tuesday (October 7th, 10 pm ET/PT) to discuss a number of topics, including the two lawsuits that he is currently involved in.

According to a write-up that was posted on CBSNews.com, Ivey will be looking to "defend his reputation" in the interview. Ivey has been accused of two casinos, Crockfords and the Borgata, of "edge sorting". Here is a quick overview of "edge sorting" from an April 2014 article from this site:

'"Edge sorting" requires that cards be improperly cut in order to work. Cards that are properly cut will have a perfectly symmetrical pattern on the back, while cards that are improperly cut will have an asymmetrical pattern on the back.

So, let's say that you take two cards from an improperly cut deck and place them side by side with the backs of the cards facing upwards. Now, let's turn ONE of the cards 180 degrees.

With a properly cut deck, you would not be able to notice any difference if you turned one of the cards around. With an improperly cut deck, you can notice a difference between the two.

So, in the case of Ivey and his associate, they were asking that the dealer turn certain cards (the 7,8 and 9, which are crucial cards in Punto Banco). By doing this, Ivey would know if a card was a 7, 8 or 9 without it being flipped over. This gave Ivey an advantage over the casino which he took full advantage of. '


Ivey has freely admitted that he is an "advantage player" and that he used the improperly cut cards to his advantage. Ivey, though, insists that he was not "cheating" and that he should be paid in full (or allowed to keep his money in the case of Crockfords).

The two casinos, however, contend that Ivey and his associate were "operating a scam" and that Ivey's wins ($10 million at Crockfords, $9 million at the Borgata) were obtained by cheating.

Ivey has a lawsuit active against Crockfords (he never received his winnings), while the Borgata has a lawsuit ongoing against Ivey as they try to claw back the $9 million that Ivey won.


Here is a clip of Ivey's interview - the full thing can be viewed on Showtime next Tuesday:


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