Phil Ivey has been branded as the number one poker contender on the globe by quite a few of the top-ranked professionals. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and moved to NJ before his first birthday. His papa taught him penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was hooked on poker and wished to learn everything he could about poker. He routinely would tell his parents that he was planning on being a professional poker player. Phil did not let the negative feedback from others destroy his goal of becoming one of the strongest poker players on the planet.

Phil began competing intently after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his techniques at the poker rooms in Atlantic City. The initial number of years for Phil were a teaching period and coming away with a win was not a regular thing at the time. Phil became known at the 2000 WSOP where he achieved two final tables and won his 1st World Series of Poker bracelet, in a $2, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha match. At the last table he destroyed a number of the well known professionals including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.

He made a decision to take his game to the next level and headed out west to Las Vegas. He continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players in the world. Phil credits his achievements to hard work and a continuing love for the game of poker. He states that he’s learning every single day and is quite abashed about his achievements. He admits to making blunders every single session of poker and constantly strives to get better.

Despite the fact that Phil has won some big tournaments, he favors winning cash games on a regular basis.