Phil Ivey Loses Court Battle Over £7.7 Million Casino Win

Phil Ivey won £7.7 million at Crockfords casino in August 2012. However, the casino refused to pay his winnings in October 2012, leading to a lawsuit filed by Ivey in September 2013. The trial began on October 2, 2014, and lasted nearly a week.

Crockfords argued that the card-sorting technique used by Ivey was not a fair strategy. Ivey's lawyer, Richard Spearman, countered that the technique used information available to any player, such as the pattern on the back of the cards provided by the casino. Spearman also suggested that the casino could have prevented the technique by checking the cards for asymmetry or using each deck only once.

Crockfords representative Christopher Pymont stated that the casino did not consider Ivey an advantage player and that the technique was not acceptable in England. Ivey maintained that he never cheats and only uses legal strategies. The judge ruled against Ivey, stating that his actions constituted cheating. Ivey and his partner Chen Yin Sun used the same technique in casinos in Australia and the USA and are facing a similar lawsuit against the Borgata casino in the USA. Ivey appeared on the Showtime program 60 Minutes Sports, expressing confidence in his techniques.