Phil Ivey has been branded as the number one poker player in the world by quite a few of the top pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to NJ before reaching turning 1. His grandpa showed him to one cent-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From then on on, Phil was addicted to poker and wished to learn everything he possibly could about poker. He routinely would tell his elders that he wanted to be a professional poker player. Phil did not allow the adverse feedback from others annihilate his dream of becoming one of the strongest poker competitors on the planet.
He started playing intently after getting a false ID by the name of Jerome. He sharpened his abilities at the casinos of Atlantic City. The beginning few years for Phil were a teaching period and winning wasn’t a regular thing at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 WSOP when he achieved 2 final tables and won his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the last table he defeated a number of the better known pros including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his skills to the next level and moved out west to Vegas. Phil continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Ivey credits his achievements to discipline and a continuing passion for poker. He states that he’s learning every day and is quite abashed about his accomplishments. Phil knows he makes errors every single session of poker and constantly strives to get better.
Despite the fact that Ivey has won some large tournaments, he prefers destroying money games on a regular basis.