Poker fans haven’t seen 10 time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Ivey at the 2021 WSOP as Ivey has been busy doing other things. Ivey made headlines over the weekend for hosting a mega Las Vegas themed party at a $4 million Las Vegas mansion.
This was an invitation only party that saw a mix of rich clientele, scantily clad women and media present to promote the launch of Ivey’s NFT Sneaker Collaboration.
Some of the attendees at this promotional party included Adam Pliska, World Poker Tour (WPT) President, poker pros Jamie Kerstetter and Ebony Kenney, and former NFL running back for the Raiders and Seattle Seahawks Marshawn Lynch,.
Ivey and The Shoe Surgeon
Ivey launched this promotional party alongside the 2021 WSOP as he knew it would get a lot of attention from the poker community and he was right. Ivey said that he met the Shoe Surgeon only a month ago and the two decided to collaborate and come out with an exciting NFT sneaker collaboration.
The Shoe Doctor a.k.a Dominic Chambrone is considered to be the best shoe surgeon in the business and was the man who designed NBA superstar LeBron James’s 24 karat gold shoes which was estimated to be over $100,000. Chambrone also put in some special work to make Ivey’s NFT sneakers a special piece.
In a statement, Chambrone said “It all comes down to the sneakers. He’s the best at his craft, I’m the best at my craft, and we both came together to try something different. He loves sneakers, I love making sneakers. I love passionate people and whatever they’re the best at.”
There is a lot of attention to detail in the shoes as Chambrone used the cards from the actual hand that Ivey played against Tom Dwan in an old High Stakes Poker game and inserted it behind the tongue of the shoe. Ivey played a big role in putting together this unique sneaker design.
This special edition of Ivey’s NFT sneakers will run as an auction for one week as there is only one edition of these unique pair of shoes. The opening bid for this NFT sneaker collection started at $50,000 and we will have to wait till the end of this week to see who the winning bidder is and how much they were willing to pay for this pair of shoes.
Ivey Might Play 2021 WSOP Main Event
While the focus of the party was on the NFT shoe collection, the media present did not miss the opportunity to ask Phil Ivey why he wasn’t playing at the 2021 WSOP. Ivey said he was playing a few side games during the WSOP and will continue to do that in the coming days. When asked if he will take part in any WSOP bracelet events and see if he can get his 11th WSOP bracelet, he skipped the question.
Ivey said that as of now he is still not sure if he will decide to play the 2021 WSOP Main Event. The 2021 WSOP Main Event starting flights will take place this week and Ivey only has a few more days left to decide if he is going to play or skip the 2021 WSOP Main Event.
Ivey has been reluctant in recent years to play poker in America due to his legal troubles with the Borgata. Now that the two parties have resolved their differences, Ivey can play live poker in America and not have to worry about his winnings.
