Phil Ivey has been referred to as the best poker player on the planet by most of the top-ranked pros. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to New Jersey before reaching the age of 1. His grandfather showed him to one cent-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was hooked on poker and wished to pickup anything he could about poker. He routinely would tell his parents that he was planning on being a professional poker player. He did not allow the adverse comments from others kill his ambition of becoming one of the strongest poker competitors in the world.
He started playing seriously after getting a fake ID with the name of Jerome. He practiced his game at the casinos of Atlantic City. The initial number of years for him were a teaching opportunity and coming away with a win wasn’t a common outcome 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 1st WSOP bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the closing table he defeated a number of the well known professionals including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He made a decision to take his game to the successive level and headed out west to Vegas. Phil continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Ivey credits his success to dedication and an immeasurable love for poker. He says that he’s picking up skills every single day and is very humble about his achievements. He admits to making blunders every single game of poker and constantly strives to improve.
Despite the fact that Phil has won some big-time tournaments, he favors destroying money games on a normal basis.