Phil Ivey has been labeled as the number one poker contender on the planet by many of the top pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before reaching turning one. His grandfather introduced him to one cent-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, Phil was addicted to poker and wished to discover every little thing he could about the game. He routinely told his parents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. Phil did not let the negative comments from others annihilate his goal of becoming one of the greatest poker players on the planet.
Phil began playing seriously after getting a false ID with the name of Jerome. He honed his skills at the casinos of Atlantic City. The initial few years for Phil were a teaching opportunity and coming away with a win wasn’t a normal outcome at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he made two final tables and won his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the final table he destroyed many of the well known pros including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil made a decision to take his game to the next level and headed out west to Sin City. He continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Ivey credits his success to discipline and an undying passion for the game of poker. He states that he’s learning every single day and is quite humble about his accomplishments. He admits to making blunders in each game of poker and always aspires to get better.
Although Ivey has won some big-time tournaments, he favors destroying money games on a normal basis.