In London, the Supreme Court listens to the accusation of fraud against Phil Ivey.
In 2012, Phil Ivey, a 10-time winner of the World Series of Poker bracelet, won 7.7 million pounds (approximately 9 million euros) at baccarat in London's Crockfords Casino. He is now accused of "edge sorting", a form of card counting. The highest court in the UK is set to clarify the legal stance on this disputed matter.
Phil Ivey's adversary in the case is the Genting Group, a prominent casino operator in South East Asia, which also owns Crockfords Casino in London. The edge sorting method employed by Ivey is the same that he used at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City in 2012, where he won 10.1 million dollars (approximately 9 million euros) in winnings. The Borgata Casino also refused to pay out.
The pivotal issue in this case is whether or not edge sorting in Punto Banco Baccarat is considered cheating. This is a legally undefined area that many casino operators tolerate. The Supreme Court is now charged with determining if Phil Ivey was cheating or not.
What is the "edge sorting" dispute about?
In this form of card counting, low-key differences in the cards' backside patterns are exploited. Typically, the geometric patterns on the long edges of a deck of cards have extremely minor discrepancies. Phil Ivey couldn't detect these differences on his own, but a partner, Cheung Yin Sun, who was skilled at it, made a special request to the croupier in the casino. This request entailed rotating the cards with the highest value by 180 degrees. This was based on a kind of superstition and allowed her to distinguish between high and low cards. While the exact card values remain elusive, it's easier to estimate whether it's a good hand and then place bets. Some experts contend that the normal house edge of one percent in Punto Banco Baccarat can be nullified. In this instance, Phil Ivey allegedly attained a six percent edge. However, this interpretation is disputed and will be addressed by the Supreme Court.
Previous rulings and the current legal battle
The poker virtuoso himself acknowledges that he could discern the cards to some extent by taking advantage of minor discrepancies on the back of the cards. Ivey thus sets a precedent, as the legality of this form of card counting hasn't yet been clarified. His attorneys argue that it doesn't constitute fraud because the casino can maintain its house edge.
Over the last three years, two lower courts have considered the case, both ruling against Ivey. However, he has chosen to appeal to the Supreme Court, causing the dispute to reach the UK Supreme Court for a fresh round of deliberations.
Arguments presented before the Supreme Court
Last week, both parties presented their arguments to the Supreme Court. Ivey's attorney focused on his client's conduct, asserting that there was no evidence of dishonesty. In the Oxford English Dictionary, dishonesty is considered the basics of fraud. Richard Spearman, Ivey's lawyer, then concluded as follows:
There is no evidence whatsoever that Mr. Ivey acted dishonestly. He was a truthful witness who didn't believe his actions were dishonest.
Meanwhile, Crockford's attorneys centered their argument on the Concise Oxford English Dictionary's definition of fraud, which states that obtaining an unjust advantage is frauding. Christopher Pymont, the legal representative of the Genting Group, subsequently responded:
'The crux of cheating isn't whether the player acted dishonestly, but whether they intentionally sought an unfair advantage in the game.
17 million euros is the total amount in question
Ivey employed his advantage not only at Crockfords Casino in London, but also at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, where multiple hearings in American courts have already taken place. Ivey is now planning to appeal the case to the next American court. This amounts to over 17 million euros in winnings being contested. Ivey is also refraining from participating in this year's World Series of Poker due to his legal processes taking up considerable time. Despite this legal battle, Phil Ivey remains a highly regarded candidate for the Poker Hall of Fame. A decision on who will be admitted into the Hall of Fame will be made at the end of this week.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
