Phil Ivey has been referred to as the best poker contender on the planet by quite a few of the top pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to NJ before reaching turning 1. His grandpa introduced him to one cent-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was hooked on poker and wanted to pickup everything he could about the game. Phil routinely told his grandparents that he was going to be a professional poker player. He did not permit the detrimental comments from other people annihilate his dream of becoming one of the greatest poker competitors on the planet.
He began competing intently after getting a fake ID with the name of Jerome. He practiced his skills at the casinos in Atlantic City. The initial number of years for Phil were a learning opportunity and coming away with a win wasn’t a common thing at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he achieved two final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the final table he defeated a number 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 successive level and headed out west to Las Vegas. Phil continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Phil credits his achievements to discipline and a continuing passion for poker. He states that he’s learning every single day and is very abashed about his success. He admits to making errors in each session of poker and constantly strives to improve.
Although Phil has won some large tournaments, he favors destroying money games on a regular basis.