At the time, Phil Ivey indicated that he was attempting to apply pressure to Full Tilt Poker on behalf of the players while trying to collect damages cause to his name and reputation.
Many in poker have argued that is not the case. Conjectures have ranged from Ivey's lawsuit simply being an effort to get out of the non-compete clause to trying to have his equity received before the players received theirs. Some have suggested he is trying to undermine any efforts by Full Tilt to seek investment to play back players, lower Full Tilt's value, then sweep in repurchase the company at a lower future price.
Mike Matusow stated this week on the "Hardcore Poker Show,"
“People understand what’s going on. At first they didn’t get it, they all thought Phil Ivey was their hero, but now they realize he’s a fucking piece of shit …Phil Ivey doesn’t give a shit about you, me or anyone else. He is a cutthroat gambler and couldn’t care less.
Everybody can see right through it, the real reason behind the lawsuit is pretty obvious. I don’t want to get into it at all, but it’s a pretty self-centered act from a self-centered person who made anywhere between $50 million and $100 million over the past five years into his own pockets, so you know, good luck to him. He’s trying to take people down with him.”
Tony G has had his own struggles with Full Tilt Poker, alternating between sympathizer to critic. With his heavy exposure to Full Tilt from being one of the largest poker affiliates in the world, he has vacillated between giving Full Tilt Poker time to sort out their problems to insisting that action be taken immediately or they be damned by the public.Everybody can see right through it, the real reason behind the lawsuit is pretty obvious. I don’t want to get into it at all, but it’s a pretty self-centered act from a self-centered person who made anywhere between $50 million and $100 million over the past five years into his own pockets, so you know, good luck to him. He’s trying to take people down with him.”
Tony G's reaction to Ivey was that he was "the first rat to jump off the sinking ship."
The poker world seems conflicted on who to blame, as clearly Ivey wasn't responsible operationally for what got Full Tilt Poker in trouble in the first place, but that his current actions seem to be mostly selfish if shrouded as for the benefit for the players.