Finally Good News For Phil Ivey: He Headlines Poker HOF Nominees
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Ivey recently earned a nomination to be in this year’s class for the Poker Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, across the pond, Ivey’s pending lawsuit against Crockfords casino in London will be heard by England’s highest court.
Ivey’s Hall of Fame nomination simply a formality
Now that Ivey is 40 years old, he is in his first year of eligibility for the Poker Hall of Fame. Unsurprisingly, his name is among the ten recently announced as the nominees for this year’s Hall of Fame class.
Frankly, it would be an absolute shock if Ivey is not selected as one of the two people to be inducted this year. The New Jersey native is fifth on the all-time money list despite being absent for much of the high roller action the past couple of years. He also owns ten World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets.
Most importantly, he is the rare player who is as commanding at cash games as poker tournaments. He is one of the top winners in online poker history, and his reputation in live cash games remains untarnished. The legend of “No Home Jerome” grinding it out in New Jersey casinos is one of the most popular stories in poker lore.
Previously, Daniel Negreanu was a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he turned 40 in 2016. It is safe to assume Ivey will get similar treatment.
The Hall of Fame ceremony will run in tandem with the WSOP Main Event final table later this month. Other nominees this year include Mike Matusow, poker television producer Mori Eskandani, tournament director Matt Savage, and Max Pescatori.
A panel of media members and living Hall of Fame members are currently in the process of voting on this year’s class.
Ivey spotted at Bellagio in Las Vegas
Ivey appears to be in Las Vegas at the moment, but he is not playing the WSOP. Instead, he was playing in the big cash games at Bellagio.
It makes plenty of sense why Ivey would avoid the WSOP tables. As it stands, the courts say Ivey owes the casino $10 million. Borgata is going to want payment of that money sooner rather than later.
If Ivey wants to avoid paying out such a big sum in advance of his appeal, one thing he will have to do is prove that the payment would be a substantial financial burden. If he goes around winning bracelets and cashing in events with reported earnings, it will look all the more likely that he can swing an eight-figure judgment.
Meanwhile, he can play cash games with unreported earnings like the big stakes Vegas games.
Crockfords case gets day in court on Thursday
In the meantime, Ivey’s other bacarrat-related court case is getting heard by the British Supreme Court this week. Unlike Borgata, which paid Ivey on his winnings, then sought to reclaim them, the British casino Crockfords withheld the £7.8 million Ivey won at the table game. He is suing for payment.
So far the courts, like those in the States, side with the casino. This is Ivey’s last shot to get his winnings. However, there is a good chance if he does, that money is going straight in Borgata’s pocket.
[i15-table tableid=5245]Image by World Poker Tour / CC BY-NC 2.0