Crockford’s Claims Phil Ivey Exploited Cards: Won’t Pay £7.8m in Winnings

Following news that poker pro Phil Ivey has sued London’s oldest casino, Crockford’s, that establishment has fought back claiming that Ivey won £7.8m by 'reading' the back of cards.

Crockford’s refuses to pay out the £7.8m.  Ivey insists he did nothing wrong.

The Daily Mail explained how the alleged scheme transpired:

The technique has echoes of Kaleidoscope, a 1966 film starring Warren Beatty as a playboy who breaks into a card manufacturer to mark the cards and then beat the bank at every European casino.

The Mail on Sunday, which revealed last October that Mr Ivey’s winnings had been withheld, understands the cards were flawed because of a mistake during the cutting process at an overseas manufacturing plant.

Crucially, it meant their geometric pattern was not symmetrical, though this would not have been noticeable to the untrained eye. 

Cards should look exactly the same if turned 180 degrees. If they do not, it allows so-called advantage players to use a system known as ‘playing the turn’.

Ivey was accompanied by an unidentified Chinese woman for whom the casino also cast suspicion. 

- Ace King, Gambling911.com