Phil Ivey has been referred to as the best poker player on the planet by quite a few of the top-ranked professionals. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and moved to New Jersey before reaching the age of 1. His grandfather taught Phil penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From then on on, Phil was hooked on poker and wished to pickup anything he possibly could about the game. He routinely told his parents that he was going to be a professional poker player. He did not allow the detrimental comments from other people kill his ambition of being one of the strongest poker players in the world.
He started competing intently after getting a false ID by the name of Jerome. He sharpened his skills at the casinos in Atlantic City. The first number of years for Phil were a learning period and coming away with a win wasn’t a regular thing at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 WSOP where he achieved 2 final tables and came away with his 1st World Series of Poker bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the final table he defeated quite a few of the better known professionals which includes "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. He continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Ivey credits his achievements to dedication and an eternal passion for the game of poker. Phil states that he is picking up skills every single day and is very humble about his success. He knows he makes errors in each game of poker and constantly strives to get better.
Despite the fact that Phil has come first in some large tournaments, he prefers destroying cash games on a regular basis.