Phil Ivey has been referred to as the best poker player on the planet by most of the top professionals. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to Jersey before reaching turning 1. His grandpa showed him to one cent-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From then on on, he was hooked on poker and wanted to discover every little thing he could about poker. He would tell his elders that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He did not let the negative feedback from other people annihilate his ambition of being one of the greatest poker players in the world.
Phil began competing seriously after getting a false ID with the name of Jerome. He practiced his techniques at the poker rooms in Atlantic City. The first number of years for Phil were a learning 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 where he achieved 2 final tables and came away with his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the last table he destroyed quite a few of the better known pros including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He made a decision to take his skills to the next level and moved out west to Vegas. He continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Ivey credits his achievements to dedication and an undying passion for the game of poker. Phil states that he is picking up skills every day and is quite humble about his achievements. He knows he makes mistakes in each session of poker and constantly aspires to improve.
Although Ivey has won some big tournaments, he prefers winning cash games on a normal basis.