Phil Ivey Quits WSOP 2011 Until Full Tilt Repays Customers

Team Full Tilt member Phil Ivey has taken the extraordinary decision to boycott the 2011 WSOP as a sign of solidarity with the thousands of US Full Tilt customers still waiting to receive their funds.
Since April 15th, when the poker room was indicted by the Department of Justice, Full Tilt’s US customers have yet to receive any of the approximate $150 million they have in their online accounts.
This and perhaps other disagreements on how Full Tilt has been handling the whole affair has now lead Phil Ivey to suing the site’s  software and marketing company Tiltware, while also pulling out of this year’s WSOP.
Summing up his disappointment with Full Tilt and the personal embarrassment he feels as a consequence of the poker room’s non-action, Ivey posted a statement on his Facebook page today which read:  
“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 whole heartedly 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.”
Consequently, Phil Ivey was marked absent from today’s $25,000 Heads-Up Event as he will be from series’ other events until Full Tilt’s US players are reunited with their funds.
Obviously, this has come as a huge disappointment for poker fans hoping to see Ivey in action at the world class tournament series. On the other hand, if Ivey’s principled decision helps facilitate the return of player’s money it will be deemed a sacrifice worth taking by all those affected.
It will also be interesting to see if any of the other members of Team Full Tilt will be following Ivey’s lead.