if the full tilt stuff ever clears up, he will always have people backing him in big poker tourneys so he will make more cashes in the future while the rest of us know the truth
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Phil Ivey’s ex-wife has petitioned the Nevada Supreme Court to disqualify the judge who ruled on the couple’s divorce case because Ivey donated money to the judge’s re-election campaign.
Luciaetta Ivey claims that the poker superstar’s donation to Family Court Judge Bill Gonzalez reeks of judicial impropriety. The uncontested divorce was granted in December 2009, and Ivey contributed to the judge in the early part of 2010.
“The public is entitled to know that impartiality is the rule for the judiciary,” the petition stated. “Further, Luciaetta is entitled to fairness and the appearance of fairness before this court and recusal is the only way that she can be sure to receive both.”
Luciaetta’s filing raises concerns about possible conflicts of interest that develop when judicial candidates accept campaign contributions from parties or lawyers who have or had a case before them and about state guidelines regarding when such contributions should result in a judge recusing himself from a particular case.
One expert on legal ethics who read over the petition felt that it would be in the parties’ best interest to assign a new judge to the divorce case in order “to ensure public confidence.”
Jeff Stempel, a law professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, said Nevada’s statute on judge disqualification was rather weak and that the state tends to favor keeping judges on the cases that are originally assigned to them. The Nevada Supreme Court has, in the past, rejected various recommendations for imposing stricter disqualification standards, Stempel said.
The couple married in Las Vegas on May 19, 2002, and the divorce decree was entered Dec. 29, 2009. Per both parties’ request, the case was sealed.
Luciaetta Ivey, now residing in Tampa, Fla., hired attorney Bruce Shapiro in March after thinking about and questioning the fairness of the divorce settlement. Shapiro told her about her ex-husband’s campaign contributions to the judge.
“I was blindsided,” Luciaetta Ivey said. “I was very upset. I was very disgusted.”
Luciaetta Ivey filed a motion in June in Clark County Family Court that raised several new issues in her divorce case. The motion was scheduled to be in front of Judge Gonzalez, but Luciaetta Ivey objected, filing an “affidavit of implied bias or prejudice,” which was based on Phil Ivey’s campaign contributions.
Gonzalez then filed an affidavit stating his belief that he was “capable of rendering judgment in this matter in a fair and just manner.”
Stempel said that the judge’s comment suggests that Gonzalez applied a wrong standard in his refusal to step down from the case.
“Judge Gonzalez’s personal view as to his ability to be impartial is irrelevant,” the law professor said. “What is relevant is whether a member of the public would have reasonable concerns over his impartiality.”
Luciaetta Ivey filed another motion in August to disqualify the judge. Phil Ivey opposed the motion and Chief District Judge Jennifer Togliatti denied the motion in September.
Luciaetta Ivey then brought the matter before the Nevada Supreme Court, saying “that it would appear improper, even unseemly, for Judge Gonzalez to be able to hear a matter involving his largest individual campaign contributor.” The case is now on the docket of Judge Gonzalez for next Tuesday.
Luciaetta Ivey’s petition before the high court claims that her ex-husband donated $5,000 to the judge’s campaign on April 17, 2010. Stempel said that the poker pro’s contribution to Gonzalez “obviously” meant that he was satisfied with the divorce decree “and may have anticipated possible challenges.”
Nevada law has no limits on the amount of contributions that judges may accept from parties or lawyers appearing before them, but the law does bar judges from hearing cases in which “actual bias or prejudice for or against one of the parties,” could be an issue. The Nevada Supreme Court ruled in 1977 that “recusal would be a necessary step to alleviate or obviate” even the slightest appearance of improper conduct.
The Nevada Code of Judicial Conduct states that, “A judge is disqualified whenever the judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”
The “total community income” of Phil and Luciaetta Ivey was almost $8 million in 2008, according to tax returns cited in Luciaetta Ivey’s petition.
Phil Ivey has won eight World Series of Poker (WSOP) championship bracelets and is in a fifth place tie on the WSOP’s all-time list. However, he refused to play in the 2011 WSOP events, which concluded last week with Pius Heinz of Germany capturing the WSOP Main Event title along with $8.7 million.
Phil Ivey stated that he was “embarrassed” that Full Tilt Poker, his sponsor, had not reimbursed players who were owed money by the poker site after the Department of Justice shut down the poker room in April in the Black Friday fraud and money laundering allegations.
“I am not playing in the World Series of Poker as I do not believe it is fair that I compete when others cannot,” Ivey stated “I am doing everything I can to seek a solution to the problem as quickly as possible.”
Ivey also filed a case in June in Clark County District Court, alleging that Tiltware, the California-based parent company of Full Tilt, damaged his reputation because of his affiliation with the poker site.
Ivey has earned more than $5 million in WSOP events and over $13.8 million in his tournament poker career.Comment -
Didn't he have to sell his Vegas mansion last year? Lost 2 million on Laker/Celts a few years ago and missed the WSOP this year? It was also reported he was borrowing millions from Full Tilt, so why would he keep borrowing if he wasn't broke?
I feel shocked!
His gambling habit became a skidmark on the underpants of society.
His WSOP absence was noticeable.Comment -
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Fulltilt was his cash cow.Comment -
Really hard for Brothas to handle fame & fortuneComment -
100% false if u believe gamblers are broke. Lang is rolling strong and he gambles everyday, he told me. If you have the extreme diligence and refuse to lose attitude you can come out on top of your profession.Comment -
Poker has cooled off quite a bit from it's hey day. Guys like this go bust all the time. Johnny Chan comes to mind. Guy has been down to his last penny a few times. Eventually the law of numbers catches up to you when your taking on risk all the time and your lively hood depends on it.
Is there a worse feeling from being stinkin rich to dead broke? Probably not.Comment -
Phil in 10 yearsAttached FilesComment -
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If he's broke, it's because the feds confiscated boatloads of his money. Between black friday and his divorce, he's had some serious BS to deal with that would fukk up any businessman, gambler or no.
And the Matusows rank among the least credible people in the poker world, so it's unlikely he's even busto.Walter forgot... when you're desperate's when you got no choice.Comment -
lol phil ivey? wow thats amazingComment -
I took him for 18k at the bellagio last year. Rockets against his queens.Comment -
Can JJ Gold Spel?????Phil Ivy Broke?????Comment -
Roger that! An oldtimer told me this saying years ago:
"No amount of money is safe from reckless, nonstop wagering."
Phil Ivey and those guys do get staked all the time, so I doubt if we've seen the last of him. Besides, I often thought that during these televised poker tournaments when you must stay in the game until a person is fifth or sixth, when they are betting 1.2 million or 1.75 million, the money isn't like playing in a cash game, where when you bet that money it is much more significant.Comment -
I would need to see much more proof to believe this. Until some casino comes out in a lawsuit claiming Ivey owes them 10 million (10 million, are you ******* serious!;that number alone should raise questions on the truthfulness of this story) or some other viable evidence, I'm calling bullshit. Believing anything a Matusow says in complete darkness is insane. Plus, the initial story has too many "allegedly" and "rumor(s)" for my taste.
As a gambler and poker player, I liked Ivey. The dude is/was crazy, fun, and made insane bets, because he could. Like we all ******* would if we were in his shoes.Comment -
So what? He can earn every penny back with skill. If he was some lottery winner then I would feel bad for him.Comment -
Since Ivey has beating the top players/games for years, I say that is a skill, no?
And on your previous post "if his wife wanted in for the ez street ride, shouldn't she split the expenses, too"? She didn't marry Ivey when he was rich and "famous", she started dating Ivey in high school, and has been broke with the dude many times before their divorce. She was in no way "in for the ez ride"Comment -
Ivey is a certified piece of work.
I hope that he is down for the count
after his particpation in Full Tilt.
(Who knows...He could have a boatload
buried in his Mexican mansion.)
Couldn't happen to a creepier guy.
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Only idiots will believe that ivey is broke..Comment -
When I was in Vegas playing next to a poker pro Tony Dunst at the Aria, I spoke with him about the fulltilt mess.
Quotes:
"The fall of FTP ruined me financially. I had no warning like everyone, I had most of my bankroll on there"
"Ivey has not been seen in Vegas since the fall of FTP. Im not even sure if he's in the country"
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Very few poker players have money
If you gamble all the time then you have no moneyComment -
Yeah an article says he is broke so it must be true.If that is the case then watch out for the 3 legged martians that inhabited the moon and are waiting for the right time to attack.
I agree with this but Ivey would be one of those few that have money.He has been owning cash games for the better part of the last 10-15 years.Some of which weren't even in this country so I doubt there were accurate records kept.If you notice all the $$$ in question was what Ivey had on the books.I'd say its a pretty safe bet he has stacks of cash that are unaccounted for.
On the other hand Matusow would definitely be one of the majority that doesn't have money .He and Hellmuth have made a name for themselves which is good for them because they couldn't beat 1-2 NL on SBR poker.The difference being Hellmuth is a pretty smart business man and builds his money while Matusow is a degen and is destined to be the broke type you are labeling Ivey as.Ivey>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>MatusowComment -
you guys are str8 up dicks for hating on ivey like this. I hope all who criticize him in this thread goes broke and never win again. Fkin humansComment -
I'm hearing that Ivey is toast:
"Phil Ivey's ex-wife received a purse collection worth more than $1.2 million, jewelry valued at more than $1 million and $180,000 a month in alimony as part of her divorce settlement with the poker star, according to a document filed earlier this month with the Nevada Supreme Court."
Phil did everything for this girl...and he winds up w/ his rooster in his hand. What did she do to earn this figure? I can see maintenance of a modest life style, but that's not more than $2000 per month. $180k per month. Fukk u, lady.Where's the fuckin power box, Carol?Comment
