Her forklarer han, at "Black Friday" er hovedårsagen til afbuddet. Og særligt Full Tilt Pokers - Iveys egen sponsor - håndtering af denne.
"Jeg er dybt skuffet og flov over, at Full Tilt-spillere endnu ikke har fået deres penge udbetalt. Jeg er lige så flov over, at nogle (spillere) af samme årsag ikke har mulighed for at stille op i turneringer og har økonomiske problemer."
"Jeg spiller ikke World Series Of Poker, da jeg ikke finder det fair, at jeg konkurrerer, mens andre ikke kan," lyder det blandt andet i Iveys statement, hvor han endelig bryder tavsheden efter 15. april.
Derudover skriver han, at han har sagsøgt Tiltware, der står bag Full Tilt Poker, på grund af de manglende udbetalinger. Han håber, at det kan føre til action fra pokergiganten.
Phil Ivey står noteret for otte bracelets hidtil, men kommer altså ikke til at nærme sig Phil Hellmuths 11 af slagsen i denne omgang.
Du kan læse hele Phil Iveys statement her:
"For many years, I have been proud to call myself a poker player. This great sport has taken me to places I only imagined going and I have been blessed with much success. It is therefore with deep regret that I believe I am compelled to release the following statement.
I am deeply disappointed and embarrassed that Full Tilt players have not been paid money they are owed. I am equally embarrassed that as a result many players cannot compete in tournaments and have suffered economic harm.
I am not playing in the World Series of Poker as I do not believe it is fair that I compete when others cannot. I am doing everything I can to seek a solution to the problem as quickly as possible.
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. I have electronically filed a lawsuit against Tiltware related to the unsettled player accounts. As I am sure the public can imagine, this was not an easy decision for me.
I wholeheartedly 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.
I sincerely hope this statement will ignite those capable of resolving the problems into immediate action and would like to clarify that until a solution is reached that cements the security of all players, both US and International, I will, as I have for the last six weeks, dedicate the entirety of my time and efforts to finding a solution for those who have been wronged by the painfully slow process of repayment"
We will see what happens next - WSOP 2011 is already going full steam ahead with $25,000 buy-in Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship tournament and Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em tournament.