Phil Ivey has been referred to as the greatest poker contender on the planet by many of the top-ranked pros. Phil Ivey was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before his first birthday. His grandpa taught him penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was addicted to poker and wished to learn every little thing he possibly could about poker. He routinely told his grandparents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. Phil did not let the negative feedback from other people kill his dream of becoming one of the best poker players on the planet.
He started competing seriously after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his skills at the poker rooms of Atlantic City. The beginning few years for him were a learning experience and coming away with a win wasn’t a normal outcome at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 WSOP where he achieved 2 final tables and came away with his first WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the closing table he destroyed many of the well known pros including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil decided to take his skills to the next level and moved out west to Sin City. Phil continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Ivey credits his achievements to discipline and a continuing love for the game of poker. Phil states that he is learning every single day and is quite humble about his accomplishments. He admits to making errors every single game of poker and constantly strives to get better.
Despite the fact that Ivey has come first in some big tournaments, he prefers winning cash games on a regular basis.