Phil Ivey has been referred to as the number one poker player on the globe by quite a few of the top pros. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to New Jersey before his first birthday. His papa showed him to penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From then on on, Phil was hooked on poker and wished to pickup everything he possibly could about poker. He would tell his elders that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He did not let the adverse feedback from others destroy his dream of becoming one of the strongest poker competitors on the planet.
Phil began competing seriously after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his skills at the casinos of Atlantic City. The first number of years for him were a learning opportunity and coming away with a win was not a normal outcome at the time. Phil became known at the 2000 WSOP when he made 2 final tables and came away with his 1st World Series of Poker bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the final table he destroyed a number of the well known pros including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil decided to take his skills to the next level and moved out west to Vegas. Phil continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Ivey credits his success to discipline and an eternal love for the game of poker. He says that he is picking up skills every single day and is incredibly humble about his accomplishments. Phil admits to making errors in each game of poker and constantly strives to get better.
Despite the fact that Ivey has won some big-time tournaments, he likes winning cash games on a normal basis.