Phil Ivey has been referred to as the greatest poker competitor on the planet by quite a few of the top-ranked pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before reaching the age of 1. His papa taught him one cent-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was addicted to poker and wanted to learn anything he possibly could about the game. Phil routinely told his grandparents that he was planning on being a professional poker player. Phil did not permit the negative comments from others kill his dream of being one of the strongest poker competitors on the planet.
He started competing intently after acquiring a false ID with the name of Jerome. He honed his skills at the casinos of Atlantic City. The first number of years for Phil were a learning opportunity and winning was not a regular outcome at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he made two final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the final table he defeated many of the well known professionals including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He made a decision to take his skills to the successive level and moved out west to Sin City. Phil continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Phil credits his achievements to hard work and an undying love for the game of poker. He says that he’s picking up skills every single day and is quite abashed about his achievements. He admits to making errors in each game of poker and constantly strives to get better.
Although Phil has come first in some big tournaments, he favors destroying money games on a regular basis.