Phil Ivey has been branded as the greatest poker contender on the planet by many of the top professionals. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to New Jersey before reaching the age of 1. His grandfather taught him penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, Phil was addicted to poker and wished to learn anything he possibly could about poker. He routinely told his parents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. Phil did not allow the negative comments from other people destroy his ambition of becoming one of the greatest poker players on the planet.
He began competing seriously after acquiring a false ID by the name of Jerome. He sharpened his game at the poker rooms in Atlantic City. The initial number of years for Phil were a teaching period and winning wasn’t a normal outcome at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he made 2 final tables and won his 1st World Series of Poker bracelet, in a $2, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the final table he destroyed quite a few of the well 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 Las Vegas. Phil continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Phil credits his achievements to dedication and a continuing passion for poker. Phil says that he’s learning every day and is very abashed about his accomplishments. Phil knows he makes mistakes every single game of poker and always strives to get better.
Despite the fact that Phil has won some big tournaments, he favors winning money games on a normal basis.
