Phil Ivey has been branded as the greatest poker competitor on the globe by many of the top-ranked pros. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before his first birthday. His grandfather taught Phil penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, Phil was hooked on poker and wished to discover every little thing he could about poker. He routinely told his parents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He didn’t allow the negative feedback from other people annihilate his ambition of being one of the greatest poker competitors in the world.
Phil began playing intently after acquiring a false ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his skills at the poker rooms of Atlantic City. The initial few years for him were a teaching opportunity and winning was not a common thing at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he achieved two final tables and won his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the last table he defeated quite a few of the better known pros including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil made a decision to take his game to the successive level and moved out west to Las Vegas. Phil continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Phil credits his achievements to hard work and a continuing love for poker. He states that he is learning every single day and is incredibly humble about his achievements. Phil admits to making mistakes in each game of poker and constantly strives to improve.
Despite the fact that Ivey has come first in some large tournaments, he likes destroying cash games on a regular basis.
