Phil Ivey has been labeled as the number one poker contender on the planet by quite a few of the top-ranked pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to New Jersey before his first birthday. His papa introduced him to penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, Phil was addicted to poker and wanted to pickup anything he could about the game. He routinely told his grandparents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He did not allow the adverse comments from others annihilate his goal of becoming one of the best poker players in the world.
Phil began competing seriously after acquiring a false ID by the name of Jerome. He practiced his techniques at the casinos of Atlantic City. The first number of years for him were a teaching experience and coming away with a win wasn’t a common thing at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he achieved 2 final tables and came away with his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the last table he destroyed quite a few of the better known pros which includes "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his game to the next level and headed out west to Las Vegas. He continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players on the planet. Phil credits his achievements to dedication and an immeasurable passion for poker. He states that he’s learning every day and is quite abashed about his achievements. He admits to making errors every single session of poker and always aspires to get better.
Although Phil has won some large tournaments, he favors winning money games on a regular basis.