“May I request an Asian dealer?” “Of course, Mr. In return for his big bets, Ivey will ask for and receive certain conditions for his play. Why is that? Because of the size of his betting, very large. Yet, some will bend over backwards to get him into their joint. A few “game protection” heads of major casinos (risk managers in Wall Street parlance) fear Ivey so much that they will not even allow him to play slot machines. Best known for his superior poker play-he holds 10 World Series of Poker bracelets-Ivey’s understanding of game theory extends to almost any play offered by any casino. Now, he’s one of the top gamblers in the world. He began betting at Atlantic City tables as a teenager. Born in Riverside Calif., his parents then moved to New Jersey.
Phil Ivey is the personification of this.
