Phil Ivey has been labeled as the number one poker contender in the world by quite a few of the top pros. Phil Ivey was born in Riverside, CA and moved to NJ before reaching turning 1. His grandpa taught Phil penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From then on on, Phil was hooked on poker and wished to discover every little thing he possibly could about poker. Phil would tell his elders that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He didn’t allow the negative comments from others kill his dream of becoming one of the strongest poker competitors on the planet.
Phil started playing seriously after getting a false ID by the name of Jerome. He practiced his abilities at the casinos of Atlantic City. The initial few years for Phil were a learning opportunity and winning wasn’t a regular thing at the time. He became known at the 2000 WSOP where he made 2 final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the closing table he destroyed a number of the well known professionals including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil decided to take his skills to the next level and headed out west to Sin City. He continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players on the planet. Phil credits his achievements to hard work and an eternal love for poker. He says that he’s learning every day and is quite abashed about his success. He knows he makes errors every single game of poker and always aspires to improve.
Even though Ivey has won some big-time tournaments, he prefers winning cash games on a regular basis.