Poker Player Phil Ivey Wins $10 Mil; Casino Refuses To Pay

Crockfords, an exclusive gaming club in London's Mayfair, is investigating a $10 million win by the world's top poker player, Phil Ivey — and refusing to pay him a red cent.

UPDATE: The Crockfords casino and its Genting owners are refusing to pay out his $11.7 million winning! (Source: Larry Brown Sports)

ORIGINAL STORY BELOW:

A source with insider information to the situation claims that the dispute being described is an unprecedented event. After Phil Ivey, a 35-year-old Californian, hit big while playing Punto Banco (a skill-free variant of baccarat), the 184-year-old casino became suspicious of his remarkable winning streak.

The Genting-owned casino initially agreed to transfer the winnings to Ivey's bank account, but six weeks after the win, Crocksfords has returned only his $1.3 million stake and began an exhaustive inquiry into the matter. While it is unclear what, if anything, Mr. Ivey has been accused of, lawyers for both sides are said to be battling for the bucks which has resulted in an increasingly tense stand-off.

Over the course of two days that Ivey played Punto Banco, he sat next to a female companion. The only other people in the room were the croupier and an inspector. All the action was recorded on ten cameras. Although Phil Ivey is one of the world's most respected poker players, casinos regard him as a "hit and run" gambler, with a tendency to "quit after just a few hands if he wins big."

There is no suggestion that Ivey used any methods of collusion to influence his winnings, yet Crockfords isn't taking any chances. Genting investigators flew from Kuala Lumpur to London to speak to everyone who was working on the two nights, examined countless hours of film from surveillance cameras, the cards used in the event and the shoe they were dealt from was also scrutinized.

Was this a case of simple gambler's rogue luck? Or is there more than what meets the eye behind this investigation? You let us know by leaving your thoughts in the comments section.

Props: Daily Mail