Phil Ivey has been branded as the best poker player on the globe by many of the top pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to NJ before reaching turning one. His grandfather taught Phil one cent-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was addicted to poker and wished to learn anything he could about the game. He routinely told his parents that he was planning on being a professional poker player. He didn’t permit the adverse feedback from others destroy his goal of being one of the strongest poker competitors in the world.
He started playing seriously after getting a false ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his skills at the casinos of Atlantic City. The first few years for Phil were a learning period and winning wasn’t a regular outcome at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he achieved two final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a $2, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the final table he defeated many of the better known pros which includes "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil decided to take his skills to the successive level and headed out west to Vegas. Phil continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Ivey credits his success to hard work and an eternal love for the game of poker. He states that he is picking up skills every day and is quite abashed about his success. Phil knows he makes errors every single session of poker and always aspires to improve.
Although Phil has won some large tournaments, he favors winning cash games on a normal basis.