What's Ahead for Phil Ivey after losing £7.7m Baccarat Lawsuit?

Phil Ivey had hoped to recover £7.7 million ($12.1m) in baccarat winnings that Crockfords was keeping from him. So last year, he launched a lawsuit against the London casino, which claims that Ivey cheated by using a baccarat advantage-play method called edge sorting.

Unfortunately for the famed poker pro, John Mitting of the UK High Court sided with Crockfords. Here’s a look at what Mitting had to say on the matter, according to the Guardian UK:

The fact that Mr Ivey was genuinely convinced that he did not cheat and that the practice commanded considerable from others was not determinative of the question of whether it amounted to cheating.

“Mr Ivey had gained himself an advantage and did so by using a croupier as his innocent agent or tool.

“It was not simply taking advantage of error on her part or an anomaly practised by the casino for which he was not responsible.

“He was doing it in circumstances where he knew that she and her superiors did not know the consequences of what she had done at his instigation. This is, in my view, cheating for the purpose of civil law.”

The one positive Ivey can take away from the case is that the Judge acknowledged that he had been a truthful witness in so far as he genuinely believed his actions did not constitute cheating. As Ivey himself had stated earlier in proceedings, “My integrity is infinitely more important to me than a big win, which is why I have brought these proceedings to demonstrate that I have been unjustly treated.”

The opinion of Judge Mitting is not only important regarding Ivey’s case with Crockfords, but it could also impact his case with the Borgata. The leading Atlantic City casino is suing Ivey after they lost $9.6 million to him through baccarat edge sorting. Edge sorting involves looking at flawed designs on card-backs to determine what cards will be dealt next. But it’s worth adding that Ivey also made the casino agree to certain conditions such as letting him bring an accomplice to the table, having a Chinese-speaking dealer, and having cards rotated at a 180-degree angle.

These requests were disguised by Ivey as mere superstitions. However, his accomplice helped him spot the card-back imperfections, which are more visible when cards are rotated 180 degrees. Seeing as how Mitting viewed all of this as cheating, it could set a precedent for the Borgata case. The Borgata wants their $9.6 million back and the case is set to be decided sometime next year.