Crockfords Alleges Phil Ivey Cheated

Sunday May 12,2013 : SHOCKING ALLEGATIONS MADE AGAINST TOP POKER ACE
 
Crockfords responds to Phil Ivey litigation with its own accusations
 
The idea that international poker ace Phil Ivey may be a card cheat has apparently been floated by the Crockfords poker room in London, which Ivey is currently suing for payment of millions of pounds sterling winnings.
 
Over the weekend the mainstream UK press started reporting that Crockfords has responded to Ivey's lawsuit by claiming that he in some way exploited a design or manufacturing flaw on the cards to ensure that he won big, reading the card values before they were turned over.
 
Back in August, Ivey played high stakes Punto Banco at Crockfords, accompanied by a Las Vegas woman of Asian ethnicity.
 
Initially play reportedly went against the poker maven and he was down GBP 500,000, but after convincing casino management of his bona fides, Ivey apparently secured a rise in his wagering limit to around GBP 150,000 which he leveraged effectively to build an account balance of just over GBP 12 million before he ceased playing.
 
The casino paid Ivey his GBP 1 million deposit back, but has since not made good on his winnings, prompting Ivey earlier this month to launch litigation.
 
Ivey's companion appears to have triggered suspicions in casino management as well, with allegations that she had been banned from at least two land casinos, although the reasons for this are not clear.
 
Ivey has not yet responded to the casino's accusations of cheating.