Poker icon Phil Ivey warns cheaters, but has a controversial reputation himself

Things can get heated in poker - and some people don't shy away from using questionable means to implement their own strategy. It was precisely to these people that poker veteran Phil Ivey recently issued a clear warning: You'd better not mess with him, according to the quintessence that could be read in the press. It is interesting to note that Ivey himself actually had to pay back millions in winnings because he allegedly cheated in several casinos.

Phil Ivey - the name alone makes poker fans all over the world sit up and take notice. The man is a living legend: he has already dusted off 11 WSOP gold bracelets and accumulated an incredible 47 million dollars in wins during his career. This currently puts him in eleventh place on the all-time money list of the poker database TheHendonMob.com. In fact, German superstar Fedor Holz, who only recently made it into the exclusive club of 40 million players, has now overtaken him. In the popularity ranking, Ivey is even in second place - behind Daniel Negreanu in first place and ahead of Fedor Holz in third. Ivey, who was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017, is simply an icon of the game - there's no denying that.

Now Phil Ivey has once again spoken plainly on Joey Ingram's YouTube show, including on the subject of cheating in poker: you shouldn't mess with him. Ironically, the admonishing words come from a man who has operated in the gray area himself in the past.

Phil Ivey talks to Joey Ingram about his experiences with poker cheating and warns cheaters

Joey Ingram, one of the best-known poker Youtubers, has returned after a long break - and with an interview that packs a punch. At the center of his "Poker Life Podcast": none other than Phil Ivey, Brad Owen and Adam Pliska.

Ivey is probably well known to most people who regularly play poker. But Owen and Pliska are also really big names in the scene.

• Brad Owen, a celebrated poker vlogger, has won the hearts of hundreds of thousands of fans with his YouTube channel. He shows how exciting, but also merciless, the everyday life of a poker player can be. Speaking of which: poker pro Quirin Heinz recently gave some interesting insights into his everyday life. Owen combines entertainment with strategy tips and has managed to get a wide audience interested in poker.
• Adam Pliska, CEO of the World Poker Tour (WPT), is the man behind one of the most famous poker events in the world. For over a decade, he has ensured that the WPT has always remained innovative, whether with virtual poker lounges or international live streams. Under his leadership, the association has become synonymous with professional poker.

Phil Ivey, a man of quiet but forceful words, let it be known how he deals with such topics. "I only play with people I know and trust," he explained. And that came across as honestly as you would expect from a poker veteran. "I've been around a long time, you know? I know the good ones and the bad ones pretty well by now." For him, it's clear: "Good people pay, they stick to their agreements." We recently reported on poker fraud as a business with specialized online stores.

Ivey openly admitted that in his younger years, he did sit in rounds where things were not always above board. But games like that? "I don't do them anymore," he emphasized. As usual, he remained rather vague - no details, no names. Instead, a clear indication: cheating is an absolute no-go for him. "I'm not the type to make threats, and I don't post anything on social media either. We find ways to work things out," he said. And anyone who knows Ivey knows that he means exactly what he says - without a lot of fuss. Incidentally, a large-scale illegal poker round was unearthed in Munich in the fall.

You can watch the whole show on YouTube here - from minute 16:25 Ivey talks about protection against poker cheating:

Given his troubled past, Ivey's honest words seemed a little strange

Phil Ivey talks about honesty and fairness at the poker table? Sure, that sounds good at first - but when you look at the poker star's past, it does seem a bit weird. After all, there is this story that dragged him through courtrooms on both sides of the Atlantic for years and earned him a reputation as a veritable "edge-sorting maestro".

2012: The million-dollar run with Kelly Sun

In the spring of 2012, Ivey and his partner "in crime", Kelly Sun, embarked on an unprecedented winning run at the Punto Banco tables of the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City. Sun has an extraordinary talent: she can recognize tiny design flaws on playing cards and used this knowledge to massively boost Ivey's chances. Within a total of four sessions, the pair won an incredible 9.6 million dollars, which was paid out in full.

In between, the duo took a trip to Crockfords Casino in London, where they won 7.8 million pounds. However, Crockford's manager smelled a rat and never paid out the wins - only the £1 million deposit was returned.

2013 to 2014: court marathon and controversial verdicts

While the Borgata sued Ivey and Sun for the return of the wins, the two filed their own lawsuit against Crockfords in London. However, Judge Mitting ruled in 2014 that edge sorting was "not a legitimate strategy". Ivey had manipulated the decks through targeted agreements with the casinos - even if not directly fraudulent.

The agreement consisted of five demands, which the casinos - unaware of the disadvantage they were suffering as a result - fulfilled:

1. A private gaming area
2. A Mandarin-speaking dealer
3. Kelly Sun as a companion at the table
4. A special set of cards from Gemaco
5. Automatic card shufflers

The verdict: Ivey had "gained an unfair advantage". His comment: "How can you cheat honestly? That doesn't make any sense."

2016 to 2017: More lawsuits and bitter setbacks

A US court ruled that Ivey had not cheated, but had broken the rules of the game "in the spirit of the law". The result: he had to pay back the 9.6 million dollars to the Borgata - plus court costs, totaling over 10 million.

In London, the case went all the way to the Supreme Court, but Ivey was also defeated there. The judges described his strategy as a "planned coup" and saw no reason to force the Crockfords to pay out.

2018 to 2020: Settlement and an end with a question mark

After further lawsuits, appeals and a curious dispute with Daniel "Jungleman" Cates over WSOP winnings, the case ended in 2020 with a settlement between Ivey and the Borgata. The terms were not disclosed, but one thing is certain: the story of Ivey's edge-sorting saga will live on in the poker world for a long time to come.

Source of the image: Screenshot from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQbDxHHitOg&ab_channel=joeingram1