Phil Ivey has officially joined the NFT craze! The poker hall of famer has now released his own NFT collection, in partnership with community-oriented blockchain-based platform Ethernity Chain, and creative agency Impossible Brief.
NFTs Defined
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have gained enormous popularity in recent months as cryptocurrencies skyrocketed. An NFT is a digital asset that can be used to represent real-world items, including artwork, music, videos, and even real estate. They have unique properties and cannot be interchanged.
Each token is registered into a digital ledger containing built-in authentication. When you buy an NFT, you earn the so-called “digital bragging rights” by becoming the official owner of the original item, and nobody can alter the record of ownership as the data are protected by blockchain technology.
Currently, NFTs mostly revolve around digital artworks, as well as sports cards. The NFT phenomenon began back in March when a set of NFTs by digital artist and graphic designer Michael Joseph Winkelmann, known professionally as “Beeple”, was sold for more than $69 million.
Poker World Embraces NFTs
Phil Ivey is the latest in the world of poker to officially embrace the NFT frenzy. In April, the World Poker Tour (WPT) also announced an exclusive NFT launch in collaboration with Theta Network. The project has been dubbed as the world’s first real-time NFT marketplace, featuring some of the best poker moments in WPT history. The concept essentially mimics that of NBA Top Shot.
Ivey’s “The Royal Flush”
Named “The Royal Flush”, Ivey’s officially-licensed digital collection includes five different editions: Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. These collectibles can be bought at the starting price of $199 ERN (the native utility token of Ethernity Chain).
There will be 100 Ten cards up for sale, priced at $199 ERN each. The card represents Ivey’s exemplary World Series of Poker (WSOP) record, having won 10 gold bracelets throughout his career.
A total of 75 Jack cards will be available at $500 ERN. It represents Ivey’s reputation as a well-rounded poker player, widely considered as a “jack of all trades”.
There will be 50 Queen cards, sold at $999 ERN. The card depicts Ivey’s character at the table which reflects that of a ruling royal.
As for the King Card, 20 will be available, which you can buy for $1,999 ERN. The card represents Ivey’s status as the “king of poker”.
There will only be eight Ace cards available, and all of them will be auctioned off at a starting price of $4,000 ERN.
The sale will be open within 72 hours, or until supplies last.
An exciting perk awaits fans who are able to acquire the full Royal Flush collection. They will get the chance to take part in a highly curated charity poker game featuring Ivey himself, which could take place during the fall/winter months of 2021, aboard a luxury yacht in Miami. If you’re keen on becoming part of this exciting event, here’s how you can earn a seat:
The first thing you need to do is to buy the Ten, Jack, Queen, and King NFTs and store them in your wallet. As mentioned earlier, there are only eight (8) Ace Cards up for grabs, and they’ll be put up for auction. To secure a spot at the table, you must win one of those aces to complete the Royal Flush collection. You will then earn automatic entry into the charity game in Miami.
Ivey’s NFT announcement comes on the heels of his recent victory in the WPT $25,000 Heads Up Poker Championship where he outclassed Patrik Antonius to take home $400,000 in top prize.
Ethernity Chain is delighted to partner with Ivey in this latest project and hopes that more key figures in the world of poker will eventually choose to embrace the future of digital collectibles. Likewise, Impossible Brief is also happy with the collaboration. The agency was also previously involved with launching the NFT collections of football star Patrick Mahomes, and professional baseball shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.