While Phil Ivey may be known as one of the best poker players in the world, he’s also one of the most private. In fact, the 38-year-old’s shyness around the media only seems to increase the intrigue around his persona. But facing two lawsuits from big-name casinos, that’s all about to change. In an upcoming interview on 60 Minutes Sports, Ivey will speak to James Brown about his legal battles and defend allegations that he made millions of dollars cheating at high-stakes baccarat.

During this year’s World Series of Poker, the 60 Minutes crew followed Ivey around his Las Vegas stomping grounds. “He gambles on everything,” said producer Alvin Patrick in a teaser of the show. “While I was interviewing him he was gambling on the World Cup while he was playing the World Series of Poker. He lost $500,000 on a Mexico game while I was there.”

Patrick revealed that the interview with Ivey did not come easy. “Not only is it unusual that Phil Ivey would talk to us [during the WSOP], but it’s unusual that Phil Ivey would talk at all,” he said. “I’ve actually been trying to get an interview with him for five years.”

Immersing himself in the 10-time bracelet winner’s world, Brown asked if there were other games besides poker which Ivey played. “Baccarat; blackjack I play; I play a little golf for some money from time to time,” he said. He went on to playfully ask if Brown himself wanted to play: “I wouldn’t play you,” Brown quickly replied. “I can tell you this, I wouldn’t want to play game of tiddlywinks with Phil Ivey,” he later told the cameras.

Addressing the edge-sorting incidents, Brown asked Ivey if the resulting scandal could be considered the biggest threat of his career. “Yeah, because once you get ‘cheater’ next to your name, especially my business… it’s really bad,” he said.

Ivey’s baccarat troubles began in August 2012, when the posh London casino, Crockfords, refused to pay out £7 million which the poker pro had won playing Punto Banco over the course of two nights. The casino claimed that Ivey, and his companion Cheng Yin Sun, had cheated by spotting tiny flaws in a deck of mis-cut playing cards.

The 38-year-old responded by filing a lawsuit against his onetime preferred gambling venue. “Crockfords has withheld payment. I have no alternative but to take legal action,” he said.

It later came to light that Ivey and Sun had also used the same edge-sorting technique to win millions over several sessions at the Borgata in Atlantic City. On those occasions, though, the pair was able to cash out, taking home a total of $9.6 million. When the Crockfords allegations came to light, Borgata conducted their own investigation and has now filed suit against the two and card maker Gemaco to recoup the money.

“Some people believe that it was cheating,” Ivey told Brown. “I know it wasn’t, that’s why we’re going to court.”

But the edge-sorting allegations don’t stop there. Recently, Ivey’s alleged partner, Cheng Yin Sun, filed her own lawsuit against Foxwoods Resort Casino, claiming that she and two of her companions are owed over $3 million for baccarat sessions that took place in 2011. The casino claims that Sun and her entourage used the same prohibited technique to win the cash and withheld their winnings. The matter was later referred to the Mashantucket Gaming Commission which upheld Foxwoods’ decision.

Ivey, along with pal Daniel Negreanu, have blasted Crockfords and Borgata, claiming that the casinos were in effect freerolling him, taking his money if he lost, but not paying out if he won.

You can catch the whole interview and watch Ivey make his case on 60 Minutes Sports on October 7 on Showtime.

* Images in this article are screenshots captured from a 60 Minutes Sports interview and are provided courtesy of Showtime.
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