Phil Ivey has been labeled as the number one poker contender in the world by quite a few of the top pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before reaching the age of one. His grandpa taught Phil penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, Phil was hooked on poker and wished to discover everything he possibly could about the game. He routinely told his parents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He did not let the negative comments from other people annihilate his goal of being one of the strongest poker competitors on the planet.
He started competing seriously after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his game at the poker rooms in Atlantic City. The initial number of years for Phil were a learning period and coming away with a win wasn’t a normal outcome at the time. Phil became known at the 2000 WSOP when he made 2 final tables and came away with his 1st World Series of Poker bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the last table he defeated quite a few of the well known pros including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his skills to the successive level and headed out west to Vegas. He continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Phil credits his success to hard work and a continuing passion for the game of poker. He states that he is learning every single day and is very humble about his success. He admits to making mistakes in each game of poker and constantly strives to improve.
Despite the fact that Phil has won some large tournaments, he likes destroying money games on a normal basis.