If you want the perfect definition of a “baller,” witness the following quote from Phil Ivey’s mother, Pamela, upon being asked about the £7.3 million ($11.7 million) in winnings that a London casino is reportedly withholding from the poker superstar:
“He never mentioned it. It can’t have been very important to him, or I think he’d have mentioned it.”
Or how about this from Ivey himself?
“Please don’t talk to me. I am concentrating on my tournament.”
In fairness, we don’t know if the reporter from the UK’s Daily Mail asked him about it while he was actually playing in the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event or simply on a break, but still, it would be nice if we could all simply not worry about being owed millions of dollars.
According to reports, six weeks ago Ivey ran a starting bankroll of £1 million up to £7.3 million in a high stakes game of punto banco at Crockfords, the exclusive casino in Mayfair. When it came time to cash out, Ivey requested the house transfer his winnings to his bank account. As it was a banking holiday in the UK at the time, the casino said it would have to wait, but it the transfer would be completed on Tuesday, August 28th. When Ivey left, the casino began an investigation into the possibility that he may have cheated and it still has not given him his money.
The thing is, there has been no evidence whatsoever that Ivey did anything wrong. Genting, the company which owns Crockfords, sent an investigator to the casino to speak to everyone who was working during the two nights Ivey played as well as examine security footage and check out the cards used. No cards were marked. Employees said that Ivey never touched the cards.
There was no evidence that he was colluding with anyone in the room, either. The only people present at the game were the croupier, inspector, and a female companion of Ivey’s. There is some suspicion of that companion, as she has had her membership suspended at another local casino, but no reason has been given for that suspicion other than the suspension. There is no real reason to believe she would be involved in any sort of cheating.
When Ivey first started playing, he was wagering £50,000 per hand; he was later permitted to increase his bets to £150,000. During the initial night of his run, Ivey dug himself an almost half million pound hole, but he climbed out of it and ended the night up £2.3 million. He won another £5 million the second night.
Punto banco is a variation of baccarat in which the casino serves as the bank at all times. Two hands are dealt during each “coup” (round), one designated as the “player’s” hand and one as the “banker’s” hand, though neither are actually related to the person playing the game or the house. The gambler can bet on either hand or a tie. The house has a fairly low edge when the customer bets on either the player or banker (1.24 percent and 1.06 percent, respectively).
