Vaswani 'sets record straight' on golf swindle

The rumors have, both literally and figuratively, reached epic proportions. Poker pros and fans have taken sides, questioned integrity, besmirched reputations and chipped heartily in to the fray. And now Ram Vaswani has finally posted his version of events in the infamous golf "swindling" at the hands of Phil Ivey.

The facts: Vaswani and Mark Goodwin played golf with Phil Ivey and a partner back in January at the Aussie Millions.

They put a lot of money on the line. And Vaswani ended up "owing" a lot of it to Ivey.

After that, everything gets a little hazy.

Although that hasn't stopped anyone and everyone - including fellow poker pros Daniel Negreanu and Barny Boatman - from playing an epic game of he said/he said all over the Internet.

In a nutshell, however: Vaswani says Ivey lied about his handicap and the conditions were unfair, so he should pay nothing.

Ivey, apparently, disagrees and thinks Vaswani should pay up.

Part of Vaswani's version, from his post in a popular U.K. poker forum:

"This is how it starts in Australia: I explain I would be playing a lot worse than any of our previous games due to the fact that I hadn't been playing since the end of the English summer and that I didn't have my clubs.

"So I ask for 4 shots. Phil then replies that he hasn't been playing either so we should be playing off the same handicaps as before further implying that he would be playing worse as well.

"At this point not only is he taking away the shots that I should be getting but he is also hiding the fact of how many shots he had improved since last April."

Vaswani continued on in the post, explaining his version of events, how the bets played out, the level the stakes reached and meetings they've had since then to try and resolve the issue.

He concludes however that he was, essentially, swindled, and shouldn't have to pay.

"I know it's not for me to make a decision on this matter which is why I came up with the idea of arbitrators but whatever happens as far as I am concerned I shouldn't have to pay a single dollar.

"But there have been a lot of lies going around and until they are taken away and apologised for I am not interested in having another meeting. I don't care if someone is telling me that I am the liar people can work that out for themselves.

"If Daniel or Phil have any questions then I am happy to reply on TheHendonMob forum."

The two are both expected to be at the Bellagio at the end of April for the WPT Championship.

courtesy of Christopher Hunt

News Added: 20 April, 2007

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