Phil Ivey has been referred to as the number one poker player in the world by quite a few of the top pros. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to Jersey before reaching turning one. His grandpa introduced him to penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From then on on, Phil was hooked on poker and wanted to discover anything he possibly could about poker. He routinely would tell his grandparents that he was planning on being a professional poker player. He didn’t permit the adverse comments from other people kill his goal of being one of the strongest poker players on the planet.
He began competing seriously after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He sharpened his game at the casinos in Atlantic City. The first number of years for him were a learning opportunity and coming away with a win wasn’t a common thing at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 WSOP where he achieved two final tables and won his 1st World Series of Poker bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the final table he destroyed quite a few of the better known pros which includes "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his game to the next level and moved out west to Las Vegas. Phil continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Ivey credits his success to dedication and a continuing love for poker. Phil says that he is learning every single day and is very humble about his achievements. Phil admits to making mistakes every single session of poker and always aspires to improve.
Although Phil has won some big-time tournaments, he favors winning cash games on a regular basis.