Phil Ivey has been referred to as the best poker contender in the world by many of the top-ranked pros. Phil Ivey was born in Riverside, CA and moved to NJ before reaching turning 1. His grandfather taught Phil penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From then on on, he was hooked on poker and wished to pickup every little thing he could about the game. He routinely told his grandparents that he was planning on being a professional poker player. He did not allow the negative comments from other people destroy his dream of becoming one of the greatest poker players on the planet.
Phil started playing seriously after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He practiced his skills at the poker rooms of Atlantic City. The initial few years for Phil were a learning opportunity and winning was not a regular outcome at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he achieved two final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the final table he destroyed a number of the better known professionals which includes "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
Phil decided to take his skills to the successive level and moved out west to Sin City. He continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Ivey credits his achievements to dedication and a continuing passion for the game of poker. He states that he’s learning every day and is quite abashed about his achievements. He knows he makes errors in each game of poker and always strives to improve.
Despite the fact that Ivey has won some large tournaments, he prefers destroying cash games on a regular basis.