Phil Ivey has been branded as the number one poker player on the planet by quite a few of the top pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to NJ before his first birthday. His grandfather taught Phil 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 going to be a professional poker player. He did not let the adverse feedback from other people destroy his dream of being one of the greatest poker players on the planet.
He began competing seriously after acquiring a false ID with the name of Jerome. He practiced his skills at the casinos in Atlantic City. The initial number of years for him were a teaching opportunity and winning wasn’t a common thing at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he achieved two final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the final table he defeated many of the well 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 Sin City. He continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Phil credits his achievements to discipline and a continuing passion for poker. Phil states that he is learning every day and is very abashed about his achievements. Phil knows he makes mistakes every single session of poker and constantly strives to improve.
Despite the fact that Phil has come first in some large tournaments, he likes winning money games on a regular basis.
