Phil Ivey has been branded 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 moved to NJ before his first birthday. His grandfather taught him one cent-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From then on on, he was hooked on poker and wanted to learn every little thing he possibly could about the game. Phil routinely told his parents that he was planning on being a professional poker player. He didn’t allow the detrimental feedback from others kill his dream of being one of the strongest poker competitors in the world.
He began playing seriously after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his abilities at the casinos in Atlantic City. The first few years for him were a learning period and winning wasn’t a regular thing at the time. He became known at the 2000 WSOP where he achieved two final tables and came away with his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the final table he destroyed a number of the better known pros including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil decided to take his game to the next level and headed out west to Vegas. Phil continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players on the planet. Ivey credits his achievements to dedication and an immeasurable love for poker. Phil states that he’s learning every day and is quite humble about his achievements. He admits to making mistakes every single session of poker and always aspires to improve.
Although Ivey has won some big tournaments, he likes winning cash games on a regular basis.