Phil Ivey has been labeled as the greatest poker player on the globe by most of the top pros. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before reaching turning 1. His grandpa taught him one cent-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, Phil was hooked on poker and wished to pickup anything he could about poker. He routinely would tell his grandparents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. Phil didn’t allow the negative comments from others destroy his ambition of becoming one of the best poker players in the world.
Phil started playing intently after getting a false ID by the name of Jerome. He sharpened his skills at the casinos of Atlantic City. The first number of years for him were a teaching experience and coming away with a win was not a normal thing at the time. He became known at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he achieved two final tables and won his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the closing table he defeated quite a few of the better known professionals including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his skills to the next level and moved out west to Sin City. He continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Ivey credits his success to dedication and an immeasurable love for poker. Phil says that he is learning every day and is quite abashed about his accomplishments. Phil admits to making blunders every single session of poker and always strives to get better.
Although Phil has come first in some big-time tournaments, he likes winning cash games on a regular basis.