Phil Ivey has been referred to as the number one poker player on the planet by most of the top-ranked pros. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before reaching turning 1. His grandpa taught him penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, Phil was addicted to poker and wished to discover every little thing he could about the game. Phil would tell his elders that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He did not let the detrimental feedback from others destroy his goal of being one of the strongest poker players on the planet.
Phil began playing intently after acquiring a fake ID with the name of Jerome. He honed his skills at the poker rooms of Atlantic City. The initial number of years for him were a teaching experience and winning was not a common outcome at the time. Phil became known at the 2000 WSOP where he achieved two final tables and came away with his first World Series of Poker bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the closing table he defeated many of the well known pros which includes "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil decided to take his game to the next level and headed out west to Vegas. He continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Phil credits his success to discipline and an eternal love for the game of poker. He says that he is picking up skills every day and is incredibly humble about his achievements. He knows he makes mistakes every single 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.