Casino sues ex-poker champ for $12m

Casino sues ex-poker champ for $12m

A professional poker player has been named in a lawsuit that alleges he cheated to win US$9.6 million (S$12 million) in winnings.

The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, in the US state of New Jersey, filed a federal lawsuit in New Jersey on Tuesday against Mr Phillip Ivey Jr (right).

Mr Ivey is considered one of the best poker players in the world, reported New York Daily News.

The Borgata said the 38-year-old former World Poker Tour champ practised "edge sorting" in baccarat, in which his friend told dealers how to turn the cards, which were manufactured with a recognisable flaw, allowing Mr Ivey to sort them in his favour.

The casino claimed that Mr Ivey and a friend cheated during four visits in 2012. It said that the edge-sorting technique violates New Jersey casino gambling regulations.

Its senior vice-president, Mr Joe Lupo, and Mr Ivey's lawyer declined to comment on the lawsuit, reported AP.

The lawsuit claims the cards, manufactured by Gemaco, were defective in that the pattern on the back of them was not uniform.

The manufacturer is also fighting a lawsuit from another Atlantic City casino, the Golden Nugget, claiming the firm provided unshuffled cards that led to gamblers beating the casino for US$1.5 million.

Gemaco did not respond to a request for comment.

A lawsuit filed in Britain's High Court by Malaysia's Genting Group makes a similar claim against Mr Ivey, reported London Evening Standard.

It alleges that Nr Ivey and an accomplice amassed almost £7.7 million (S$16 million) by cheating at baccarat in 2012.

In that case, Mr Ivey, who has won nine World Series of Poker bracelets, denied any misconduct.

This article was published on April 14 in The New Paper.

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