Lawyers for top international poker pro Phil Ivey, who has been accused of using baccarat edge-sorting skills to cheat the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa out of $9.6 million in 2012, have filed a motion for dismissal of the charges in a Nevada court.
Ivey’s lawyers deny any wrongdoing on his part, and claim that his big win at the Borgata tables was down to “exquisite” poker skills. They additionally claim that a six-month statute of limitations to recover money lost in an “illegal” game has expired, and that supposed violations of state casino regulations cannot be pursued by individual casinos.
The Borgata lawsuit alleges that Ivey – a ten-bracelet World Series of Poker legend – exploited manufacturing flaws in playing cards during four sessions of Baccarat at the casino. The casino has also pursued the cards manufacturer, US supplier Gemaco Inc, and an Asian woman named Cheng Yin Sun, who is alleged to have been complicit in Ivey’s activity.
Ivey is also embroiled in similar edge-sorting allegations by the Crockfords Casino in the UK, which is withholding punto banco winnings totalling GBP 7.8 million. Ivey launched litigation against Crockfords almost a year ago, and the case is on-going (see previous reports).