Phil Ivey has been referred to as the best poker player on the planet by quite a few of the top-ranked pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before reaching turning 1. His grandfather taught him penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was addicted to poker and wished to pickup every little thing he possibly could about poker. He routinely told his grandparents that he was going to be a professional poker player. Phil did not permit the detrimental comments from others kill his goal of becoming one of the best poker players on the planet.
Phil started playing seriously after acquiring a false ID with the name of Jerome. He honed his game at the casinos of Atlantic City. The beginning few years for him were a teaching period and winning was not a regular thing at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he made two final tables and came away with his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the final table he destroyed a number of the better known professionals including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his game to the next level and moved out west to Vegas. He continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Phil credits his success to discipline and an undying passion for the game of poker. He states that he is picking up skills every single day and is very humble about his success. Phil knows he makes errors every single session of poker and always strives to improve.
Despite the fact that Ivey has come first in some big tournaments, he prefers winning money games on a regular basis.