Phil Ivey has been branded as the greatest poker player on the planet by many of the top professionals. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to NJ before reaching turning 1. His papa taught him penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From then on on, Phil was addicted to poker and wished to pickup anything he could about the game. Phil routinely told his elders that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He did not let the negative comments from others destroy his dream of becoming one of the strongest poker competitors on the planet.
He started competing seriously after getting a fake ID with the name of Jerome. He honed his abilities at the casinos in Atlantic City. The initial number of years for Phil were a teaching opportunity and winning wasn’t a common outcome at the time. Phil became known at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he achieved 2 final tables and won his 1st World Series of Poker bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the final table he defeated a number of the better known professionals including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his game to the successive level and moved out west to Sin City. Phil 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 eternal love for poker. Phil states that he’s learning every single day and is very abashed about his accomplishments. He knows he makes errors every single game of poker and constantly aspires to get better.
Even though Ivey has come first in some big-time tournaments, he likes destroying cash games on a regular basis.
