Phil Ivey has been labeled as the number one poker competitor on the planet by many of the top-ranked professionals. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before reaching turning 1. His grandpa taught him penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was addicted to poker and wanted to pickup anything he could about poker. He would tell his grandparents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He didn’t let the negative feedback from other people kill his dream of being one of the greatest poker competitors on the planet.
Phil started playing seriously after getting a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He sharpened his abilities at the casinos in Atlantic City. The first few years for him were a learning period and winning was not a common thing at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he made two final tables and came away with his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a $2, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the final table he destroyed a number of the better known pros including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil decided to take his skills to the next level and headed out west to Sin City. He continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Ivey credits his achievements to hard work and an undying passion for poker. He states that he’s picking up skills every day and is quite abashed about his success. Phil admits to making blunders in each game of poker and constantly aspires to get better.
Despite the fact that Ivey has come first in some big tournaments, he likes winning cash games on a regular basis.