Speedyfold Poker Blog

I made a case a while back (with lots of evidence) of why RaiseOnce on Pokerstars was very probably Phil Ivey. See this RaiseOnce Ivey post. But now I am essentially going to confirm it.

RaiseOnce was registered in the 10K WCOOP 8-Game (and sat out) and not registered for the running $5K WCOOP Main Event. The WSOPE Main Event in London was still running at the time (with Ivey still in it). Then when the WSOPE ME concluded for the evening about 20 mins later RaiseOnce sits into the WCOOP 8-Game and registers for the $5K WCOOP Main Event AND Ivey joins a table of $300/$600 PLO on Full Tilt within the same few minutes. The writing is on the wall. It is confirmed in every way shape and form apart from actually coming out of Ivey’s lips.

As a later after-note to this post: At 19.43 ET - he disconnected at both Stars and FTP at precisely the same time. Final confirmation really.

RaiseOnce on Pokerstars won the $25K Highroller Heads-up WCOOP Event on Pokerstars last night. He’s also been seen playing very high stakes over the years at the cash tables on Stars. But who is RaiseOnce I hear you ask. Well I am here to say that it is 99% certain that RaiseOnce on PokerStars is the one and only Phil Ivey. Cue shocked expression.

The 7-part Evidence

1. Location: Las Vegas. Yes yes in isolation hardly evidence really. But lets continue…

2. RaiseOnce/Phil Ivey play very very few online tournaments. Only really the ultra high buy-in ones:

Pokerstars

9 tournaments. Buy-Ins:
$25,500 x 1
$10,300 x 4
$5,200 x 2
$1050 x 2
That’s an ABI of $8800

Full Tilt

16 tournaments. Buy-Ins:
$25,000 x 4
$2620 x 4
$2100 x 1
$1060 x 2
$535 x 3
$216 x 2
That’s an ABI of $7296

3. Language Similarities

otterkopf: gg
otterkopf: be back later
RaiseOnce: thx

harrington25: YOU ARE THE GREATEST TO EVER PLAY THE GAME
harrington25: LOVE THE 78 HAND
Phil Ivey: thx

Ziigmund: ok gl m8
Phil Ivey: thx u2

Phil Ivey: someone just transferreed me 6dollars
Phil Ivey: thx whoever that is

4. Cash Games

Plays all games, and plays them at a v.high standard at the highest levels. For example at 1000/2000 Limit HE, and 1000/2000 2-7 Triple Draw. The player pool of people doing that is very very small.

Here he is in action:

PokerStars Game #49923191501: Triple Draw 2-7 Lowball Limit ($1000/$2000 USD) - 2010/09/20 18:46:40 ET
Table ‘Psyche III’ 6-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: Wrasse ($32500 in chips)
Seat 5: oogee ($40460 in chips)
Seat 6: RaiseOnce ($45960 in chips)
Wrasse: posts small blind $500
oogee: posts big blind $1000
*** DEALING HANDS ***
RaiseOnce: raises $1000 to $2000
Wrasse: raises $1000 to $3000
oogee: folds
RaiseOnce: calls $1000
*** FIRST DRAW ***
Wrasse: discards 1 card
RaiseOnce: discards 2 cards
Wrasse: bets $1000
RaiseOnce: calls $1000
*** SECOND DRAW ***
Wrasse: discards 1 card
RaiseOnce: discards 2 cards
Wrasse: bets $2000
RaiseOnce: raises $2000 to $4000
Wrasse: calls $2000
*** THIRD DRAW ***
Wrasse: discards 1 card
RaiseOnce: stands pat
Wrasse: checks
RaiseOnce: checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Wrasse: shows [8c 6d 5h 2c Jh] (Lo: J,8,6,5,2)
RaiseOnce: shows [3d 8s Ts 4h 2d] (Lo: T,8,4,3,2)
RaiseOnce collected $16998 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $17000 | Rake $2
Seat 1: Wrasse (small blind) showed [8c 6d 5h 2c Jh] and lost with Lo: J,8,6,5,2
Seat 5: oogee (big blind) folded before the Draw
Seat 6: RaiseOnce (button) showed [3d 8s Ts 4h 2d] and won ($16998) with Lo: T,8,4,3,2

5. Live Buy-ins via Pokerstars

RaiseOnce registered for the £20,000 High Roller London EPT event via Pokerstars. He also registered for the 25,000 Euros EPT High Roller Event in Monte Carlo via Pokerstars. The EPT is owned by Pokerstars so registering via them is the easiest way. Now these events had a very small number of entrants.

The Americans who played the London EPT Highroller:

Chris Moneymaker
Dennis Phillips
Greg Raymer
Vanessa Rousso
Steve O’Dwyer
Nicholas Schulman
Erik Sediel
Dan Shak
David Steicke
Vadim Trincher
Brian Powell
Joe Cada
Tom Dwan
Chris Ferguson
Matt Glantz
Barry Greenstein
Ashton Griffin
Phil Ivey
John Juanda
Harrison Kaczka
Eugene Katchalov
Bryn Kenney

As you can see many of those names have very well known Pokerstars IDs, particularly the PokerStars Pros. So if we actually remove those names we get:

Erik Seidel
Phil Ivey
Dan Shak
David Steicke
Vadim Trincher
Brian Powell
Chris Ferguson
Matt Glantz
John Juanda

If we then take off the players who didnt play the Monte Carlo EPT High Roller we get:

Phil Ivey
Chris Ferguson
Dan Shak
David Steicke
John Juanda
Erik Seidel

Then if you ask yourself who plays the highest stakes games on Full Tilt out of those you only really end up with:

Phil Ivey

6: Availability. Yes again hardly evidence (as in no.1) but building a full picture here.

Phil Ivey is currently in London but there is a bit of a gap in events. His had busted from events in progress and had a while to wait before the WSOPE 10K Heads-up and the WSOPE Main Event. A perfect time to have a crack at the $25K Heads-up WCOOP on Pokerstars.

7. Playing Style Similarities

RaiseOnce on Pokerstars has a very similar playing style to Phil Ivey on Full Tilt. And I dont just mean to the naked eye, but using a range of PT3 stats. The style/stats also arent very similar to any other high stakes players. Many of the stats are very close to or in the same orientation/magnitute as the Full Tilt account. For example his C-bet Percentage in limit holdem and the amount he calls from the BB when playing Heads-up games.

In conclusion, hello Phil

It is a difficult task to negociate 6494 poker players, but if anyone can then Phil Ivey surly can. He is still going strong with just 19 players left. The final table is almost in touching distance. Lets hope Phil can make it. He’s already picked up 2 bracelets this series, so it’s proving to be an excellent WSOP year for Phil, who is one of a very few people ever to get 3 bracelets in one series (in 2002).

Another biggish name is also still alive in the tourney, that being Jeff Shulman. So, a slightly smaller cheer for Jeff too

Phil Ivey won a near half-million dollar pot last night playing heads-up PLO on Full tilt. Here is how the hand played out:

Ziigmund raises to $3K from the SB
Ivey re-raised to $9K
Ziigmund re-raised to $27K
Ivey re-raied to $81K
Ziigmund calls

Flop: 6d Qd 9c

Ivey bets the pot ($162K)

Ziigmund raises for 2k more, and is all-in

Ivey shows: Ac As 2s 4d
Ziigmund shows: Ks 9s 2c 7c

Turn: 6c
River: Th

Ivey takes down the $491,891 pot

I am sure you are familiar with the game Where’s Wally or Where’s Waldo.  How about Where’s Phil Ivey?

Somewhere here at the Lakers game.  Can you spot him (really not that difficult)