Phil Ivey has been referred to as the greatest poker contender on the globe by most of the top pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to NJ before reaching the age of 1. His grandfather introduced him to penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From then on on, he was hooked on poker and wanted to pickup whatever he could about the game. Phil routinely told his parents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He didn’t allow the negative comments from others destroy his dream of being one of the greatest poker players in the world.
He started playing seriously after getting a fake ID with the name of Jerome. He practiced his game at the poker rooms in Atlantic City. The initial few years for him were a teaching experience and coming away with a win was not a regular outcome at the time. He became known at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he achieved 2 final tables and won his 1st World Series of Poker bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the last table he defeated many of the well known professionals including but not limited to "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 best players in the world. Ivey credits his achievements to dedication and an immeasurable love for the game of poker. He says that he is learning every day and is quite abashed about his achievements. Phil knows he makes errors every single session of poker and constantly strives to improve.
Despite the fact that Phil has come first in some big-time tournaments, he favors destroying money games on a normal basis.