Phil Ivey has been referred to as the greatest poker competitor on the globe by most of the top pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to NJ before reaching turning 1. His grandpa taught him penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From then on on, he was hooked on poker and wished to discover everything he could about poker. Phil routinely told his elders that he wanted to be a professional poker player. Phil didn’t let the adverse feedback from other people kill his dream of becoming one of the strongest poker competitors on the planet.
Phil started playing seriously after acquiring a false ID with the name of Jerome. He practiced his abilities at the poker rooms of Atlantic City. The initial few years for Phil were a teaching experience and winning wasn’t a common thing at the time. He became known at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he achieved two final tables and won his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the last table he destroyed many of the well known professionals including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his skills to the successive level and moved out west to Sin City. Phil continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Ivey credits his achievements to hard work and an eternal love for the game of poker. He says that he’s picking up skills every day and is incredibly humble about his achievements. Phil admits to making mistakes in each session of poker and always aspires to improve.
Although Phil has come first in some big-time tournaments, he likes winning cash games on a regular basis.