Phil Ivey has been labeled as the number one poker competitor on the planet by quite a few of the top pros. Phil Ivey was born in Riverside, CA and moved to New Jersey before reaching turning 1. His papa taught him penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From then on on, he was hooked on poker and wanted to pickup everything he possibly could about the game. Phil routinely would tell his parents that he was going to be a professional poker player. He didn’t let the negative feedback from others kill his goal of being one of the best poker competitors on the planet.
Phil started competing seriously after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He practiced his skills at the poker rooms in Atlantic City. The beginning number of years for him were a learning period and winning was not a normal outcome at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 WSOP when he made 2 final tables and came away with his first World Series of Poker bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the last table he defeated many of the well known pros which includes "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil decided to take his game to the next level and headed out west to Las Vegas. Phil continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Ivey credits his success to discipline and an undying love for poker. He says that he’s learning every day and is quite abashed about his achievements. He knows he makes mistakes every single game of poker and constantly strives to get better.
Despite the fact that Ivey has come first in some big-time tournaments, he favors destroying money games on a normal basis.
