Phil Ivey has been referred to as the best poker player in the world by many of the top-ranked professionals. Phil Ivey was born in Riverside, CA and moved to Jersey before his first birthday. His papa taught him penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From then on on, he was hooked on poker and wanted to discover everything he could about the game. Phil routinely told his elders that he was planning on being a professional poker player. Phil didn’t allow the adverse comments from other people destroy his ambition of being one of the strongest poker competitors in the world.
He began competing intently after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He sharpened his techniques at the casinos in Atlantic City. The beginning number of years for him were a teaching opportunity and coming away with a win was not a normal thing at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he made 2 final tables and came away with his first World Series of Poker bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the final table he destroyed a number 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 moved out west to Las Vegas. He continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Phil credits his success to dedication and a continuing love for the game of poker. Phil states that he is learning every single day and is quite humble about his success. Phil knows he makes errors in each session of poker and always strives to get better.
Despite the fact that Ivey has come first in some large tournaments, he favors winning cash games on a normal basis.