Phil Ivey has been branded as the best poker competitor on the planet by many of the top-ranked pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to NJ before reaching turning 1. His grandfather taught Phil penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was hooked on poker and wished to learn anything he could about poker. He routinely would tell his grandparents that he was planning on being a professional poker player. He didn’t permit the negative comments from other people kill his goal of being one of the strongest poker competitors in the world.

Phil started playing intently after acquiring a false ID with the name of Jerome. He honed his skills at the poker rooms of Atlantic City. The first few years for him were a teaching experience and coming away with a win was not a normal thing at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he made two final tables and came away with his first WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the closing table he defeated many of the well known pros including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.

Phil made a decision to take his game to the successive level and headed out west to Las Vegas. Phil continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players on the planet. Ivey credits his achievements to dedication and an immeasurable passion for the game of poker. He says that he is picking up skills every single day and is quite abashed about his achievements. He knows he makes errors every single game of poker and always aspires to improve.

Despite the fact that Ivey has come first in some big-time tournaments, he favors winning cash games on a regular basis.