Phil Ivey has been labeled as the best poker contender in the world by most of the top-ranked professionals. Phil Ivey was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to Jersey before his first birthday. His grandfather taught Phil one cent-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From then on on, he was hooked on poker and wished to pickup everything he could about poker. He routinely would tell his parents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. He didn’t let the adverse feedback from other people destroy his ambition of becoming one of the greatest poker players in the world.

He started playing intently after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He practiced his game at the casinos in Atlantic City. The initial few years for Phil were a learning period and winning wasn’t a regular outcome at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 WSOP where he achieved 2 final tables and won his first WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the last table he defeated a number of the better known professionals including "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.

Phil decided to take his game to the next level and moved out west to Las Vegas. He continues to compete in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the greatest players on the planet. Phil credits his achievements to discipline and a continuing love for the game of poker. He says that he’s picking up skills every day and is quite abashed about his accomplishments. He admits to making blunders in each game of poker and always strives to improve.

Despite the fact that Phil has come first in some large tournaments, he likes winning money games on a regular basis.