Phil Ivey has been referred to as the greatest poker competitor on the planet by most of the top professionals. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and moved to NJ before his first birthday. His grandpa introduced him to penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, Phil was hooked on poker and wished to learn everything he could about poker. He routinely told his parents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He did not let the adverse feedback from other people destroy his goal of becoming one of the strongest poker players on the planet.
He began playing intently after acquiring a false ID with the name of Jerome. He sharpened his skills at the casinos in Atlantic City. The beginning few years for him were a teaching period and winning wasn’t a regular outcome at the time. Phil became known at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he made 2 final tables and came away with his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the last table he defeated quite a few of the well known professionals which includes "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his skills to the successive level and headed out west to Vegas. He continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Ivey credits his achievements to dedication and a continuing love for poker. He states that he’s learning every single day and is very humble about his achievements. Phil knows he makes blunders every single game of poker and constantly aspires to improve.
Despite the fact that Ivey has won some large tournaments, he favors winning money games on a regular basis.