Poker pro Phil Ivey is still battling the Atlantic City casino Borgata in his ongoing court case regarding nearly $10 million in winnings related to a baccarat session in 2012.
While that case is currently in limbo, he has a similar case in the UK that is moving forward with an appeal.
The good news for Ivey across the pond
Much like the Borgata case, Ivey — one of the most famous poker players in the world — has been in a dispute with a London casino, Crockfords, for some time now. The amount in question in this case: £7.8 million.
Almost identical to his case in New Jersey, at issue is a baccarat session in which Ivey used a technique called “edge sorting” to win millions of dollars at the casino. The game in question at Crockfords is actually called “punto banco.”
Edge sorting is where a player identifies defects on the card backs of the deck used in the game. Those defects are then used to help the player determine what cards are in play. That obviously allows the player to play the game more optimally.
The news today? The UK’s Supreme Court will hear his case, according to representatives for Ivey. The Court of Appeal ruled against him in November.
The Supreme Court is the UK’s highest court of appeal for civil cases and only hears a select number of cases.
What Ivey had to say
Ivey was applauding the decision to hear the appeal in a statement on Tuesday:
“Last November’s Court of Appeal ruling made no sense to me,” Ivey said. “The original trial judge ruled that I was not dishonest and none of the three Appeal Court judges disagreed, and yet the decision went against me by a majority of 2 to 1.
“I am so pleased that the Supreme Court has granted me permission to fight for what I genuinely believe is the right thing to do in my circumstances, and for the entire gaming industry,” Ivey continued. I look forward to the Supreme Court reversing the decision against me.”
“Phil and his legal team are delighted that the Supreme Court judges have decided that the Court of Appeal’s decision should be reviewed,” Ivey attorney Matthew Dowd said. “The Court of Appeal’s ruling left the interpretation of Section 42 of the Gambling Act totally unclear and the decision to grant permission to appeal demonstrates that the Supreme Court agrees with that view.”
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Meanwhile, Ivey’s Borgata case is still around, too
As Ivey fights for his money across the Atlantic Ocean, his case is still not settled in the US, either.
In December, a US District Court judge ordered Ivey to pay $10 million to Borgata in that edge-sorting case. The latest in that case is that Borgata wants Ivey to post the full amount as bond before he can appeal it to a higher court. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia would be the court that decides whether to hear that case.
In the interim, Ivey is still on the losing end of two cases to the tune of just under $20 million, barring reversals in either.
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