The poker community was stunned this week to find out that the game’s biggest star, Phil Ivey, was boycotting the 2011 World Series of Poker. Ivey, speaking publicly for the first time since Black Friday, released a statement on his Facebook page late Tuesday evening that faulted Full Tilt Poker’s “painful” slowness in returning player funds as the reason for his absence.
“I am deeply disappointed and embarrassed that Full Tilt players have not been paid money they are owed,” Ivey said in the statement. “I am equally embarrassed that as a result many players cannot compete in tournaments and have suffered economic harm.
“I wholeheartedly refuse to accept non-action as to repayment of players’ funds and I am angered that people who have supported me throughout my career have been treated so poorly.”
Ivey also filed suit against Tiltware LLC, the software and marketing company for Full Tilt. Within the lawsuit, Ivey claimed the company didn’t tell him Full Tilt executives had been repeatedly warned that they were operating illegally in the United States. Ivey also alleges that Full Tilt failed to maintain sufficient reserve accounts to “satisfy the return of funds to U.S. players.”
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in a Nevada Clark County District Court. In total, he’s seeking more than $150 million in damages.
The full lawsuit can be read here.
On Wednesday evening, Tiltware fired back with its own statement regarding Ivey’s lawsuit:
“Contrary to his sanctimonious public statements, Phil Ivey’s meritless lawsuit is about helping just one player — himself. In an effort to further enrich himself at the expense of others, Mr. Ivey appears to have timed his lawsuit to thwart pending deals with several parties that would put money back in players’ pockets. In fact, Mr. Ivey has been invited — and has declined — to take actions that could assist the company in these efforts, including paying back a large sum of money he owes the site. Tiltware doubts Mr. Ivey’s frivolous and self-serving lawsuit will ever get to court. But if it does, the company looks forward to presenting facts demonstrating that Mr. Ivey is putting his own narrow financial interests ahead of the players he professes to help.”
This dispute could get very ugly. The reaction from the community so far has been mixed; some believe Ivey is truly aiming to help players get their money back, while others feel that Ivey’s interests are self-serving.
Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu, a longtime friend of Ivey, spoke with him on the phone after the statement was released and then posted his thoughts on Twitter: “Read Ivey’s statement on not playing the WSOP. Tough spot, but I definitely admire his decision to put the players funds before bracelets.”
Meanwhile, Full Tilt Pro Mike Matusow took a stand against Ivey on Twitter, saying, “Just read this Ivey lawsuit what a big bunch of bull**** from a person that cares only about himself not any players!”
High-stakes cash game player Andrew Robl was in agreement with Matusow. Robl wrote the following on his blog Wednesday: “Phil Ivey’s statement was solely self-serving. He is trying to cover his own ass and unassociate himself with Full Tilt’s current legal situation/non-paying of players. Phil Ivey is one of the primary equity holders of full tilt and has profited off their business more than almost anyone. If he really cared about the players he would pledge to return every cent of the MILLIONS of dollars he’s made from Full Tilt to the players as Tom Dwan (who is not a owner) has done.”
Dwan, who didn’t wear any Full Tilt patches at the WSOP $25,000 Heads-Up Championship this week, posted on Twitter Wednesday evening that he believes “both sides have better intentions than the other realizes.”
Dwan initially said that he felt Ivey’s statement was “awesome” and that he still intends to give back 100% of the money he was paid by Full Tilt Poker if players aren’t paid in full.
It appears this is only the beginning of what will be an ongoing feud. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily as more develops on this story.
The rat is trying to escape sinking ship. I am totally on FTP’s side. Mike “Mouth” Matusow is 100% right. Ivey has no class, nor decency. If he cares about US players why would not he give his $$ to them. He was a main promouter of FTP and when it is in trouble – he was the first one to escape. What a jerk.
Are u serious, why would he give is hard-worked money? I believe that he have both intentions: self-interest and moving things up with US players money.