Phil Ivey has been labeled as the best poker competitor on the globe by most of the top professionals. He was born in Riverside, CA and moved to NJ before reaching turning one. His grandfather taught Phil penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From then on on, Phil was hooked on poker and wanted to pickup whatever he possibly could about poker. He routinely would tell his parents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He did not allow the negative feedback from other people destroy his dream of becoming one of the best poker players in the world.
He began competing seriously after acquiring a false ID with the name of Jerome. He honed his game at the casinos of Atlantic City. The first number of years for him were a teaching period and coming away with a win wasn’t a normal thing at the time. He became known at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he achieved two final tables and came away with his first World Series of Poker bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the closing table he defeated many of the better known pros including but not limited to "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.
He made a decision to take his skills to the next level and moved out west to Sin City. He continues to play in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Ivey credits his success to dedication and an eternal love for poker. He says that he is learning every day and is quite abashed about his accomplishments. He knows he makes errors in each game of poker and always strives to improve.
Despite the fact that Ivey has won some large tournaments, he favors destroying money games on a regular basis.
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