Phil Ivey has been referred to as the greatest poker player on the planet by many of the top professionals. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before reaching turning 1. His grandpa taught him one cent-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, Phil was hooked on poker and wished to learn every little thing he possibly could about the game. Phil routinely told his grandparents that he was going to be a professional poker player. He didn’t let the adverse comments from others annihilate his ambition of being one of the greatest poker competitors on the planet.
Phil began competing seriously after acquiring a false ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his techniques at the poker rooms of Atlantic City. The first few years for Phil were a teaching period and winning wasn’t a regular thing at the time. Phil became known at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he made 2 final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the final table he destroyed quite a few of the well known pros including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his skills to the successive level and moved out west to Las Vegas. Phil continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Ivey credits his achievements to dedication and an immeasurable love for the game of poker. Phil says that he’s picking up skills every single day and is incredibly abashed about his achievements. Phil admits to making mistakes every single session of poker and always strives to get better.
Although Ivey has won some big tournaments, he prefers destroying cash games on a regular basis.