Phil Ivey has been labeled as the greatest poker competitor in the world by quite a few of the top-ranked professionals. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to Jersey before reaching the age of one. His papa taught Phil one cent-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was hooked on poker and wished to pickup whatever he could about the game. He routinely would tell his grandparents that he was going to be a professional poker player. Phil didn’t permit the detrimental comments from other people destroy his ambition of being one of the strongest poker competitors in the world.
He started playing intently after getting a false ID with the name of Jerome. He honed his game at the casinos of Atlantic City. The initial few years for him were a teaching experience and winning was not a normal outcome at the time. He became known 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 match. At the final table he defeated quite a few of the well known professionals including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He made a decision to take his skills 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 in the world. Ivey credits his achievements to dedication and an immeasurable love for poker. Phil says that he is picking up skills every single day and is very humble about his achievements. He admits to making errors in each game of poker and always aspires to get better.
Despite the fact that Phil has won some big tournaments, he favors winning cash games on a regular basis.