Phil Ivey has been labeled as the number one poker contender on the planet by most of the top professionals. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to New Jersey before reaching the age of 1. His papa taught Phil penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From then on on, Phil was addicted to poker and wanted to discover anything he possibly could about poker. Phil routinely told his elders that he wanted to be a professional poker player. Phil didn’t allow the detrimental feedback from other people destroy his goal of being one of the best poker players in the world.
Phil started competing intently after acquiring a false ID with the name of Jerome. He honed his skills at the poker rooms of Atlantic City. The initial number of years for him were a learning experience and coming away with a win was not a regular thing at the time. Phil became known at the 2000 WSOP when he achieved 2 final tables and won his first World Series of Poker bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the final table he destroyed a number of the well known pros which includes "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil made a decision to take his skills 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 in the world. Ivey credits his success to dedication and an eternal passion for poker. He states that he is picking up skills every day and is incredibly humble about his achievements. He knows he makes errors in each game of poker and constantly strives to get better.
Despite the fact that Ivey has come first in some big-time tournaments, he favors winning cash games on a normal basis.