Phil Ivey has been referred to as the greatest poker player in the world by many of the top-ranked pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to New Jersey before reaching the age of one. His papa taught Phil one cent-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was addicted to poker and wished to learn every little thing he could about poker. Phil routinely told his elders that he was planning on being a professional poker player. Phil didn’t permit the negative feedback from other people kill his dream of being one of the best poker competitors on the planet.
He started playing seriously after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his techniques at the casinos of Atlantic City. The initial number of years for Phil were a learning experience and winning was not a normal outcome at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 WSOP where he made two final tables and came away with his first WSOP bracelet, in a $2, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the last table he defeated many of the well known pros including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He made a decision to take his game to the next level and headed out west to Vegas. He continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Ivey credits his success to discipline and an eternal passion for the game of poker. He says that he is picking up skills every day and is quite abashed about his achievements. Phil admits to making errors every single session of poker and constantly strives to improve.
Despite the fact that Ivey has won some big tournaments, he favors winning cash games on a regular basis.
