Phil Ivey has been labeled as the best poker competitor in the world by most of the top pros. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before his first birthday. His papa taught him penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, Phil was hooked on poker and wished to learn anything he possibly could about the game. Phil routinely would tell his elders that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He didn’t permit the adverse comments from other people destroy his dream of being one of the strongest poker players on the planet.
Phil began playing seriously after acquiring a false ID with the name of Jerome. He sharpened his skills at the casinos in Atlantic City. The first number of years for Phil were a learning opportunity and coming away with a win wasn’t a normal outcome at the time. Phil became known at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he made two final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the final table he defeated a number of the well known pros which includes "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He made a decision to take his game to the successive level and headed out west to Las Vegas. Phil continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Phil credits his success to hard work and an immeasurable passion for the game of poker. He states that he is picking up skills every day and is incredibly humble about his accomplishments. He admits to making mistakes in each game of poker and constantly aspires to get better.
Despite the fact that Ivey has won some big tournaments, he favors winning money games on a regular basis.