Phil Ivey has been branded as the number one poker contender in the world by quite a few of the top pros. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before his first birthday. His grandpa introduced him to penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From then on on, he was hooked on poker and wanted to discover every little thing he could about the game. Phil routinely told his elders that he was planning on being a professional poker player. Phil did not allow the adverse comments from others annihilate his goal of being one of the strongest poker competitors in the world.
He began competing seriously after getting a false ID with the name of Jerome. He practiced his techniques at the casinos of Atlantic City. The beginning number of years for Phil were a teaching opportunity and winning was not a common thing at the time. Phil became known at the 2000 WSOP where he made two final tables and came away with his first WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the last table he destroyed a number of the better known professionals including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He made a decision to take his game to the successive level and moved out west to Vegas. Phil continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Ivey credits his success to dedication and an eternal passion for the game of poker. He states that he is picking up skills every single day and is quite abashed about his achievements. He knows he makes errors in each game of poker and constantly strives to get better.
Despite the fact that Ivey has won some big tournaments, he likes destroying money games on a normal basis.