Phil Ivey has been labeled as the greatest poker contender on the planet by quite a few of the top professionals. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to New Jersey before reaching turning 1. His grandpa taught him penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, Phil was hooked on poker and wished to discover anything he possibly could about poker. Phil routinely told his parents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. Phil didn’t let the detrimental comments from others kill his ambition of being one of the greatest poker players in the world.

He started playing seriously after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He sharpened his skills at the poker rooms of Atlantic City. The initial number of years for Phil were a learning opportunity and winning was not a common outcome at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he achieved 2 final tables and came away with his first WSOP bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the final table he destroyed quite a few of the well known professionals which includes "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.

Phil made a decision to take his game to the next level and headed out west to Las Vegas. He continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Phil credits his achievements to hard work and a continuing passion for the game of poker. Phil states that he is learning every single day and is very humble about his success. Phil admits to making errors every single session of poker and constantly aspires to improve.

Although Ivey has won some large tournaments, he prefers winning money games on a normal basis.