Back in 2012, professional poker player Phil Ivey, winner of 10 WSOP bracelets, was accused of cheating at baccarat by an Atlantic City Casino. Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa claims Ivey was seeking an unfair edge at cards, allegedly knowing about their defects, cheating the casino out of $9.6 million. The professional gambler countersued Borgata in July 2015, claiming that he and his partner, Cheung Yin Sun, never touched the cards and that what they did was a legal strategy.
Ivey’s recent response to Borgata allegations is that the casino uses its own methods of gaining an advantage over the player: supplying a steady flow of free booze served by flirty waitresses. Ivey pointed out how most of the unwanted attention, coming from the sexy Borgata employees, would trigger when he was betting $50,000 to $100,000 a hand.
"It distracts you from your playing," Ivey said. "I mean, anything they can do to give themselves an advantage. Everyone knows that alcohol impairs your judgment, and they offer that, and they have the pretty cocktail waitresses and they're all very flirty. They're talking to you, you know. I got quite a few numbers."
The Borgata claims Ivey and an associate exploited a defect in cards that enabled them to sort and arrange good cards, the cards used in the games were defective in that the pattern on the back was not uniform. The casino says the technique, called edge sorting, violates New Jersey casino gambling regulations. Ivey denied any misconduct, saying that what they have done was perfectly legal, and that the casino employs its own methods of gaining an advantage. Ivey has said he simply noticed things that anyone playing the game could have observed and bet accordingly.
But he also answered a question during a deposition about his drinking habits while gambling at the Borgata.
"Was I drunk while I was playing? I'm not sure if I ever wasn't drunk while I was playing," he said.
But Ivey said it didn't matter whether he was drunk or not, because his companion — who did not drink — was making the calls on which cards to bet on.
The professional poker player lost a similar lawsuit last year in Britain's High Court by the Malaysia-based Genting Group. The court ruled that the casino doesn’t have to pay Ivey $12.4 million he had won through edge sorting.
Kristen Munoz
8 years ago
Jr. Member
this is nothing new for casinos . at least not where I am from all the casinos I play at offer free alchol beverages and served by woman wearing little to nothing so whats the big deal now ? its kinda strange for me to hear dsomeone with this complaint I say get over it or just don't go play stay home the casinos will be...
this is nothing new for casinos . at least not where I am from all the casinos I play at offer free alchol beverages and served by woman wearing little to nothing so whats the big deal now ? its kinda strange for me to hear dsomeone with this complaint I say get over it or just don't go play stay home the casinos will be around serving them same drinks by pretty ladies for a long toime to come so its just the way the dice roll lol good luck all
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CATLICKER
8 years ago
Full Member
Seems cut and dry to me. Quit her crying and pay the man. Then ban him if you like. They make that much profit in a few days, or less !!! And a little advice: Don't try to "cut corners" (pun intended) when buying your playing cards. lol
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Bgdubs
8 years ago
Sr. Newbie
_accused_ of using sexy waitresses and alcohol?!!? LOL!!! of course casinos are going to use these things, thats part of the allure!
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sharpe
9 years ago
Super Hero
I will love to be distracted in such a way if I ever play there, maybe this is just a payback from Phil Ivey's side for the previous allegations against him by the casino. It's the way this casinos works and I don't think it's something unusual, of course they will try to take advantage over the players if they can.
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rferry5
9 years ago
Sr. Member
first of all every casino i have played at meaning land casinos has pretty girls working for them and nobody forces you to drink alcohol at their casinos unless you want to drink, and i have been to many land casinos and i dont think i have ever been drunk because they water there alcohol down lol thanks rferry5
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r-ann.byrne
9 years ago
Newbie
It is all a gamble , be it winning off of "advantages" or not is not the point of the matter.....It is whom ever has the best poker face in the game, both sides are the same side , I find it amusing that this goes on everyday in every land based casinos around the world. if it were not the sexy "distracting" waitress,or...
It is all a gamble , be it winning off of "advantages" or not is not the point of the matter.....It is whom ever has the best poker face in the game, both sides are the same side , I find it amusing that this goes on everyday in every land based casinos around the world. if it were not the sexy "distracting" waitress,or the corner carding crooks it might have been the flashing from a game 10 feet away that caused the dealer to mess up a deal, or the player to see his cards in an obscured fashion, that caused someone to loose or win. My bet goes on the casino, for the most part they are not out to cheat patrons, they are an entertainment establishment, not a fuck you over one, if the man is a professional gambler then he ought not need to corner cards.
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Makerik
9 years ago
Hero Member
I would love to get free booze from the casino while im playing! It is true that it lowers your judgement but the on the other-hand drunk gamblers to tend to take bigger risks and bigger risk means bigger possibility to win even bigger! And i would mind with the flirting waitresses either. Here in Finland you have to pay...
I would love to get free booze from the casino while im playing! It is true that it lowers your judgement but the on the other-hand drunk gamblers to tend to take bigger risks and bigger risk means bigger possibility to win even bigger! And i would mind with the flirting waitresses either. Here in Finland you have to pay 8,80€ from a 0,5litres of beer and the waitresses always shows a crumby face (at the casino)
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jade
9 years ago
Super Hero
Oh come on, everyone tries to find a way to get an advantage as you can see just by reading this article and everyone admits to it. I don't think that he has done anything that anyone else hasn't done and won. Casinos just get pissed when they lose a lot of money and then try not to pay. It's just another gimmick...........
Oh come on, everyone tries to find a way to get an advantage as you can see just by reading this article and everyone admits to it. I don't think that he has done anything that anyone else hasn't done and won. Casinos just get pissed when they lose a lot of money and then try not to pay. It's just another gimmick...........
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