Phil Ivey has been referred to as the best poker contender on the planet by quite a few of the top pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to NJ before his first birthday. His grandpa introduced him to one cent-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, Phil was hooked on poker and wished to pickup everything he possibly could about poker. Phil routinely told his parents that he was going to be a professional poker player. Phil did not permit the negative comments from others destroy his dream of becoming one of the strongest poker competitors on the planet.
Phil began competing seriously after acquiring a false ID by the name of Jerome. He practiced his techniques at the poker rooms of Atlantic City. The beginning number of years for him were a learning period and coming away with a win wasn’t a normal thing at the time. He became known at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he achieved 2 final tables and came away with his first WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the closing table he destroyed a number of the well known pros including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his skills to the next level and headed out west to Sin City. Phil continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Phil credits his achievements to dedication and an undying love for the game of poker. He states that he’s picking up skills every day and is incredibly abashed about his accomplishments. He knows he makes errors every single game of poker and constantly strives to improve.
Although Phil has won some large tournaments, he likes destroying money games on a regular basis.