Phil Ivey has been branded as the greatest poker contender on the planet by quite a few of the top-ranked pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to NJ before his first birthday. His papa taught Phil penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, Phil was addicted to poker and wished to pickup anything he could about poker. Phil would tell his parents that he was going to be a professional poker player. He didn’t let the adverse feedback from other people kill his dream of becoming one of the strongest poker players in the world.
He began competing seriously after getting a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He practiced his abilities at the casinos in Atlantic City. The initial number of years for him were a learning opportunity and winning wasn’t a common thing at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he made two final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the closing table he defeated quite a few of the better known professionals which includes "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He made a decision to take his game to the successive level and headed out west to Sin City. He continues to play 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 poker. Phil says that he’s picking up skills every single day and is incredibly humble about his achievements. He knows he makes errors every single game of poker and constantly aspires to improve.
Although Phil has come first in some large tournaments, he likes winning cash games on a regular basis.
