Phil Ivey has been referred to as the greatest poker competitor in the world by most of the top-ranked professionals. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before reaching the age of 1. His papa introduced him to penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was hooked on poker and wanted to pickup whatever he could about poker. Phil would tell his grandparents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He did not allow the detrimental comments from other people annihilate his dream of becoming one of the best poker competitors on the planet.
He began playing seriously after acquiring a false ID with the name of Jerome. He sharpened his abilities at the poker rooms in Atlantic City. The first number of years for him were a learning period and coming away with a win wasn’t a regular thing at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he made two final tables and won his first World Series of Poker bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the final 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 made a decision to take his skills to the next level and headed out west to Vegas. Phil continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Ivey credits his success to hard work and a continuing love for poker. He states that he’s learning every single day and is very humble about his achievements. Phil knows he makes mistakes every single session of poker and always strives to get better.
Despite the fact that Ivey has won some big tournaments, he likes winning money games on a regular basis.