Phil Ivey has been referred to as the best poker player in the world by quite a few of the top-ranked pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to NJ before reaching turning 1. His grandfather introduced him to one cent-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From then on on, he was hooked on poker and wanted to learn anything he possibly could about poker. Phil routinely would tell his parents that he was planning on being a professional poker player. He didn’t allow the adverse feedback from others destroy his goal of being one of the best poker players on the planet.
He started playing seriously after getting a false ID with the name of Jerome. He practiced his abilities at the poker rooms of Atlantic City. The initial number of years for him were a teaching period and winning was not a normal outcome at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 WSOP where he achieved 2 final tables and won his 1st World Series of Poker bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the last table he destroyed a number of the well known pros which includes "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 participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Ivey credits his success to discipline and an immeasurable passion for poker. He says that he is learning every single day and is very humble about his achievements. Phil admits to making errors every single game of poker and constantly strives to improve.
Although Ivey has come first in some big-time tournaments, he likes destroying money games on a normal basis.