Phil Ivey has been referred to as the greatest poker player on the planet by many of the top-ranked professionals. Phil Ivey was born in Riverside, CA and moved to NJ before reaching turning 1. His papa taught him one cent-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was addicted to poker and wanted to pickup everything he could about poker. He routinely would tell his elders that he wanted to be a professional poker player. Phil did not permit the adverse feedback from others destroy his dream of becoming one of the best poker players in the world.
He began playing seriously after acquiring a false ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his techniques at the casinos in Atlantic City. The beginning number of years for Phil were a teaching period and winning was not a regular thing at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 WSOP where he made two final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a $2, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the last table he defeated many of the better known professionals including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He made a decision to take his game to the successive level and headed out west to Sin City. He continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Phil credits his success to dedication and an undying passion for poker. He says that he is picking up skills every day and is very humble about his success. He knows he makes mistakes in each session of poker and constantly aspires to improve.
Despite the fact that Ivey has won some big tournaments, he prefers winning cash games on a normal basis.