NL Hold’em Poker- Who is Phil Ivey?
Phil Ivey has been referred to as the number one poker competitor in the world by quite a few of the top pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to New Jersey before reaching the age of 1. His papa introduced him to one cent-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From then on on, he was hooked on poker and wanted to discover everything he possibly could about poker. Phil would tell his parents that he was going to be a professional poker player. He didn’t let the negative feedback from other people annihilate his goal of being one of the strongest poker competitors in the world.
He began playing seriously after acquiring a fake 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 opportunity and coming away with a win was not a common outcome at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker where he achieved two final tables and won his first World Series of Poker bracelet, in a $2, 500 Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the final table he defeated quite a few of the well 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 next level and headed out west to Sin City. Phil continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Ivey credits his achievements to dedication and a continuing passion for poker. Phil states that he is learning every single day and is incredibly humble about his achievements. He knows he makes mistakes every single session of poker and constantly aspires to improve.
Although Phil has come first in some large tournaments, he favors destroying cash games on a normal basis.