Phil Ivey has been labeled as the greatest poker competitor on the planet by many of the top professionals. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to NJ before reaching the age of 1. His grandpa taught him penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was hooked on poker and wanted to discover everything he could about poker. He would tell his grandparents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He did not allow the negative comments from other people annihilate his ambition of becoming one of the best poker competitors on the planet.
He started competing intently after acquiring a fake ID with the name of Jerome. He honed his game at the casinos of Atlantic City. The beginning number of years for him were a teaching opportunity and coming away with a win was not a regular thing at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he achieved 2 final tables and came away with his first WSOP bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the closing table he defeated a number of the better known pros including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his game to the successive 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. Phil credits his achievements to discipline and an eternal love for poker. Phil states that he’s learning every day and is incredibly abashed about his success. He admits to making errors every single session of poker and always strives to improve.
Despite the fact that Phil has won some large tournaments, he favors winning cash games on a regular basis.