The poker pro puts to rest his ongoing edge-sorting saga with the New Jersey casino
The court case between poker pro Phil Ivey and Borgata casino has been going back and forth between court dates and appeals, and it seems that now it is coming to an end. This long battle, that lasted more than six years, alleged Ivey and his gambling partner, Cheung Yin “Kelly” Sun, had cheated at a baccarat game and started in 2014 when Borgata took dispute case to court. Yesterday, NJ Online Gambling reported that a settlement was reached between the parts based on a filing made on July 2 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
As expected, there were no details released about the terms of the settlement. The legal battle involved over $10 million in winnings that both Ivey and Sun won back in 2012 by playing several sessions of table games - mainly baccarat and craps. According to the accusations presented by Borgata, both players agreed upon conditions that ended up favoring their game and giving them an edge on Borgata.
For the attorney and poker player Mac VerStandig, the only thing surprising about this event is the fact that the two sides took this long to come to an agreement. "It's unsurprising to see litigation settled, especially at the appellate stage where both parties have had the opportunity to air respective grievances, and the cost of going forward may outweigh what either party stands to gain," VerStandig said. "Cooler heads normally prevail sooner but it's not at all surprising to see it come to pass here." Apparently, the case presented by Borgata has some weak points and Ivey might have won the case on appeal, which would have only made this an everlasting battle, as Borgata could have continued fighting the decision in court.
