Phil Ivey has been referred to as the number one poker player on the globe by most of the top-ranked pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to New Jersey before his first birthday. His grandfather taught Phil penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was addicted to poker and wanted to pickup whatever he possibly could about poker. Phil routinely told his grandparents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He didn’t allow the adverse comments from other people kill his goal of becoming one of the strongest poker players in the world.
He started playing intently after acquiring a false ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his techniques at the casinos in Atlantic City. The beginning few years for Phil were a teaching experience and winning was not a regular outcome at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 WSOP where he achieved two final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a $2, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the last table he destroyed quite a few of the well known pros 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 Las Vegas. He continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players on the planet. Ivey credits his achievements to discipline and an eternal love for the game of poker. He says that he’s learning every day and is incredibly humble about his accomplishments. He knows he makes errors every single game of poker and always strives to get better.
Even though Ivey has won some big tournaments, he prefers destroying money games on a normal basis.