Ivey sues Tilt over unsettled accounts
World's third all-time poker earner and FTP team pro breaks silence claiming his name and reputation have been "dragged through the mud".
Team Full Tilt member Phil Ivey has filed “an electronic lawsuit” against Tiltware in relation to the non-payment of player funds, the first FTP professional to break his silence following the Black Friday indictments.
The Full Tilt pro made a statement on his official website and Facebook page this morning detailing the reasons for the legal action, saying “I whole heartedly 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.”
The 35-year-old professional poker player, third on the game’s all-time money list with earnings of nearly US$14m (£8.6m), also revealed he would boycott this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) event, which began yesterday in Las Vegas.
He is the first high-profile member of Team Full Tilt to make a full statement on player funds since Black Friday, although another – Tom Dwan – did tweet in the immediate aftermath of the 15 April indictments suggesting players would get their money back.
Full Tilt issued an official statement yesterday on the Two Plus Two poker forums stating the silence of players was because they were “constrained by the pending legal actions.”
However, Ivey said: “My name and reputation have been dragged through the mud, through the inactivity and indecision of others and on behalf of all poker players I refuse to remain silent any longer.”
Last week eGaming Review learned from a Full Tilt source that one of the company’s bank accounts had been unfrozen by the United States Department of Justice.
While Ivey was absent from the first open WSOP event, the US$25,000 buy-in heads-up championship, six other members of Team Full Tilt were present.
Dwan, Erick Lindgren, John Juanda, Erik Seidel, Patrik Antonius and Gus Hansen all took part, with all except Dwan and Seidel wearing Full Tilt patches or hats. Other sponsored players were also present, many wearing Full Tilt patches.
Juanda had to be escorted out of the Rio Casino by three members of security, after allegedly receiving verbal abuse from English pro James Bord.
According to Pokernews, Bord “ himself listed on Full Tilt’s site as a sponsored pro “ called Juanda a “disgrace” and “a fake and disgusting human being.”
(Photo courtesy of Ralph Unden, under Creative Commons licence)