Phil Ivey has been labeled as the greatest poker player on the globe by most of the top-ranked professionals. Phil Ivey was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before his first birthday. His grandfather introduced him to penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was hooked on poker and wanted to learn everything he could about poker. Phil would tell his grandparents that he was going to be a professional poker player. Phil didn’t allow the adverse comments from other people destroy his ambition of becoming one of the greatest poker players on the planet.
He began playing intently after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his techniques at the casinos of Atlantic City. The initial few years for Phil were a teaching experience and coming away with a win wasn’t a normal outcome at the time. He became known at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he achieved 2 final tables and came away with his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the final table he defeated quite a few of the better known professionals including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil decided to take his skills to the next level and moved out west to Vegas. He continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Phil credits his success to dedication and an undying love for poker. He says that he is picking up skills every single day and is very abashed about his success. He knows he makes mistakes in each game of poker and constantly aspires to improve.
Even though Phil has come first in some large tournaments, he prefers winning money games on a normal basis.