Phil Ivey has been branded as the number one poker contender on the globe by quite a few of the top-ranked pros. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before his first birthday. His grandfather taught him one cent-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was addicted to poker and wanted to learn anything he possibly could about the game. Phil would tell his grandparents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He didn’t let the negative comments from other people destroy his ambition of being one of the strongest poker players on the planet.
He began playing seriously after acquiring a false ID with the name of Jerome. He honed his techniques at the casinos in Atlantic City. The beginning number of years for him were a learning experience and coming away with a win wasn’t a regular outcome at the time. He became known at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he achieved 2 final tables and won his 1st World Series of Poker bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the closing table he defeated many of the well known professionals including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil decided to take his skills to the successive level and moved out west to Sin City. Phil continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players on the planet. Phil credits his achievements to hard work and an eternal passion for the game of poker. He states that he’s learning every day and is very humble about his achievements. Phil knows he makes errors in each game of poker and always aspires to get better.
Despite the fact that Phil has come first in some large tournaments, he likes winning cash games on a regular basis.