Phil Ivey has been branded as the best poker player in the world by many of the top-ranked pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to Jersey before reaching the age of 1. His grandfather showed him to penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From then on on, Phil was addicted to poker and wanted to pickup every little thing he possibly could about the game. He would tell his grandparents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He didn’t permit the negative feedback from other people kill his ambition of being one of the strongest poker competitors on the planet.
Phil started playing intently after acquiring a false ID with the name of Jerome. He sharpened his abilities at the casinos of Atlantic City. The beginning number of years for him were a learning opportunity and coming away with a win was not a normal thing at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 WSOP where he made 2 final tables and won his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the final table he defeated many of the well known pros including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil decided to take his skills to the next level and moved out west to Sin City. He continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Ivey credits his achievements to hard work and a continuing love for poker. He states that he is picking up skills every day and is very humble about his achievements. He admits to making mistakes every single session of poker and constantly aspires to improve.
Despite the fact that Phil has won some large tournaments, he likes winning cash games on a normal basis.
