The world's top poker player, Phil Ivey, could find himself battling against the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in court for another 12 months.
If we could point Ivey in a different direction and say "you can find over 300 online casinos here" that will still take your money, then we would. Unfortunately, we don't have that kind of relationship with the poker pro, so it seems as though he'll have to fight the Borgata on his own if he wants to claim back the $9.6 million he won playing baccarat 2012.
A Matter of Perspective
The basis of the lawsuit stems from the Borgata's assertion that Ivey's edge sorting strategy (which basically involves reading manufacturing marks on the cards) is cheating.
Naturally, Ivey refutes the allegation and claims there is nothing illegal about finding a weakness in the game. Because of this stalemate, representatives for both parties attended a Scheduling Conference in New Jersey last week and by the time the negotiations had come to a close the final word was that things should be wrapped up by July 31, 2015.
- Agree on digital discovery matters by August 29, 2014
- Initial discovery requests served by September 30, 2014
- Telephone status conference on November 10, 2014
- File amended pleadings and motions by November 28, 2014
- All pre-trial discovery concluded by March 31, 2015
- All expert reports for defendants due by April 30, 2015
- Deposition of expert witnesses concluded by June 30, 2015
- Dispositive motions filed by July 31, 2015
Ivey's Partner Seeking $3 Million in Compensation
In addition to fighting against the Borgata, Ivey's playing partner, Cheng Yin Sun, is filing a motion against the Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprise, the owner of Foxwoods Casino.
According to the court papers, Sun is claiming $3 million which is the amount of money the casino withheld from her and two accomplices following a session of baccarat in 2011. The main argument behind Sun's claim is that the casino was "freerolling" and would have taken her $1.6 million if she'd lost, but now won't pay out because she won.
Both Ivey and Sun will now embark on lengthy legal battles to not only clear their names but secure the millions of dollars they made at the baccarat tables.
