Phil Ivey has been referred to as the number one poker contender on the globe by quite a few of the top-ranked professionals. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to Jersey before his first birthday. His grandfather taught Phil penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From then on on, he was hooked on poker and wished to discover anything he could about the game. He routinely told his parents that he was planning on being a professional poker player. Phil did not allow the detrimental comments from others annihilate his dream of being one of the strongest poker competitors on the planet.
Phil began playing seriously after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his techniques at the casinos of Atlantic City. The initial number of years for him were a learning period and winning wasn’t a regular outcome at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 WSOP where he made 2 final tables and came away with his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a $2, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the last table he destroyed many of the well known professionals including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his game to the next level and headed out west to Vegas. He continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Phil credits his success to hard work and an immeasurable passion for poker. He states that he’s learning every single day and is very humble about his success. He admits to making blunders in each game of poker and always strives to improve.
Although Phil has come first in some big-time tournaments, he favors destroying cash games on a regular basis.