Yorky Pud

Whilst it was common knowledge that the so-called "Red Pros" on the stricken former online poker giant Full Tilt Poker used to receive $35 per hour and 100% rakeback the earnings of those on Team Full Tilt were always a closely guarded secret. That is until Phil Ivey and his estranged wife Luciaetta's divorce ended up in the courts.

Just before Christmas we brought you the news that it looked like Ivey had drawn the short straw when it came to the divorce settlement as he was saddled with $170,000 worth of credit card debt, $15,100,000 in gambling and "other" debt whilst his former wife walked away with 40% of Ivey's business interests, $1,000,000 in jewellery, a purse collection worth $1,200,000 and $180,000 a month in alimony.

Members of the poker community were astonished by that last figure, how could anyone afford to pay a former partner close to $200,000 each and every month? Well it is quite easy to afford that when Full Tilt Poker are, or should that be were, paying you $920,000 a month or a staggering $11,040,000 each year, more than the biggest-ever World Series of Poker Main Event!

The astronomical wage came to light after the former Mrs Ivey filed a petition to the Nevada Supreme Court after she discovered her ex-husband had contributed $5,000 to the campaign of Family Court Judge Bill Gonzalez, the man who was assigned to their divorce case back in 2009. Luciaetta Ivey has now filed a new document to the same court stating she is unhappy with the settlement she received, despite it being worth millions of dollars. It has now come to light through the court documents that Luciaetta Ivey received $180,000 per month as taxable alimony from Phil Ivey between January 2010 to April 2011 "while Phil enjoyed the remaining approximately $740,000." These payments stopped in April 2011 after Black Friday.

What is more astonishing? The fact Ivey received more than $11,000,000 per year for his "passive interest" in Full Tilt Poker or the fact he received this ridiculous sum of money whilst the hole in the company finances grew larger and larger up to a reported $150,000,000 or possibly more depending on who you choose to believe. It just goes to show how badly run Full Tilt Poker was and the mammoth task anyone will have if they attempt to resurrect the rogue site.