Phil Ivey has been branded as the number one poker contender on the globe by most of the top professionals. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to NJ before reaching the age of one. His grandfather taught him one cent-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was hooked on poker and wished to learn anything he could about poker. Phil would tell his grandparents that he was going to be a professional poker player. He did not allow the negative feedback from other people kill his goal of becoming one of the greatest poker competitors on the planet.
He started competing seriously after getting a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He practiced his abilities at the casinos in Atlantic City. The first few years for Phil were a teaching experience and winning wasn’t a normal outcome at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 WSOP when he made 2 final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a $2, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the last table he defeated quite a few of the well known professionals which includes "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He decided to take his game to the successive level and moved out west to Vegas. He 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 eternal love for the game of poker. He says that he’s learning every day and is quite humble about his achievements. Phil admits to making mistakes every single session of poker and always aspires to get better.
Even though Ivey has come first in some large tournaments, he favors winning cash games on a regular basis.
