Phil Ivey has been labeled as the greatest poker player in the world by many of the top-ranked professionals. Phil Ivey was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to Jersey before reaching turning 1. His grandpa taught Phil penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was hooked on poker and wished to discover anything he possibly could about the game. He routinely told his grandparents that he was going to be a professional poker player. Phil didn’t let the detrimental comments from others annihilate his ambition of becoming one of the best poker competitors on the planet.
He started competing seriously after getting a fake ID with the name of Jerome. He sharpened his abilities at the casinos in Atlantic City. The first few years for Phil were a teaching period and coming away with a win was not a regular outcome at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he achieved two final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the last table he destroyed many of the well known professionals including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil made a decision to take his game to the next level and moved out west to Las Vegas. Phil continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Ivey credits his success to dedication and an undying love for the game of poker. Phil states that he is picking up skills every day and is very humble about his success. He admits to making mistakes in each session of poker and constantly aspires to improve.
Even though Ivey has come first in some big tournaments, he prefers winning money games on a normal basis.