Phil Ivey has been branded as the best poker player on the planet by most of the top-ranked pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to NJ before his first birthday. His grandpa taught him penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From then on on, he was addicted to poker and wished to learn anything he could about the game. He would tell his grandparents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He didn’t let the adverse comments from others destroy his dream of becoming one of the best poker players in the world.
He began playing seriously after getting a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his abilities at the casinos in Atlantic City. The first few years for him were a teaching period and winning was not a normal outcome at the time. He became known at the 2000 WSOP when he achieved 2 final tables and won his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the final table he defeated 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 next level and moved out west to Sin City. Phil continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Ivey credits his achievements to dedication and an undying love for poker. He says that he’s picking up skills every day and is very humble about his achievements. Phil knows he makes blunders every single session of poker and constantly strives to get better.
Even though Phil has won some big-time tournaments, he favors destroying money games on a regular basis.
