Now it's not entirely clear to me that Phil Ivey cheated in the traditional sense. Ivey calls himself an advantage player meaning he will use odds and take advantage of casino mistakes in order to win.
Ivey used edge sorting to help identify cards and then apparently influenced the dealer to sort and deal the cards in such a way to give the players an advantage. The Judge ruled Ivey was not allowed to collect his $12.4 million winnings and could not appeal the decision.
Some feel it was the casino's fault and that they should pay up.
Bloomberg News: Poker Pro Ivey Did Cheat to Win $12.4 Million, Judge Rules
By Jeremy Hodges
Excerpt:
Professional poker player Phil Ivey’s use of edge sorting to win 7.7 million pounds ($12.4 million) at a form of Baccarat was tantamount to cheating, a London judge ruled today.
Judge John Mitting, who said Ivey was an honest witness, ruled against the 38-year-old gambler’s bid to recoup money a Genting Bhd. (GENT) casino had withheld. While he might not have realized it was cheating, Mitting said Ivey and a companion influenced a croupier to deal the cards in certain ways.
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Both sides agreed at trial that Ivey was in the casino in August 2012 and that he won the money. “The issue is whether it amounted to cheating,” Christopher Pymont, Genting’s lawyer, said in documents filed at London’s High Court.
Edge sorting is a way a card player can gain an advantage by working out the value of a card by spotting flaws or particular patterns on the back of some cards.
