Phil Ivey has been referred to as the number one poker contender in the world by quite a few of the top-ranked pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to NJ before his first birthday. His papa introduced him to penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From then on on, Phil was hooked on poker and wished to pickup every little thing he possibly could about poker. Phil routinely told his parents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. Phil did not allow the adverse feedback from others kill his goal of becoming one of the strongest poker players on the planet.
He began competing intently after acquiring a false ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his techniques at the casinos of Atlantic City. The first number of years for Phil were a learning opportunity and coming away with a win wasn’t a normal outcome at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 WSOP when he achieved 2 final tables and won his 1st World Series of Poker bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the last table he defeated a number of the well known professionals including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil decided to take his game to the successive level and moved out west to Las Vegas. He continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players on the planet. Ivey credits his success to discipline and an immeasurable passion for the game of poker. He says that he’s picking up skills every day and is very abashed about his success. Phil admits to making mistakes every single game of poker and constantly strives to get better.
Despite the fact that Phil has come first in some big tournaments, he favors destroying cash games on a regular basis.