Phil Ivey has been branded as the number one poker competitor on the globe by many of the top-ranked pros. He was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to NJ before his first birthday. His papa taught him penny-ante Five-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was addicted to poker and wanted to discover every little thing he could about the game. He routinely told his parents that he wanted to be a professional poker player. Phil didn’t let the detrimental comments from others kill his ambition of becoming one of the best poker players on the planet.

He began playing seriously after acquiring a fake ID by the name of Jerome. He honed his skills at the casinos in Atlantic City. The first few years for Phil were a teaching opportunity and winning was not a normal thing at the time. He made his mark at the 2000 World Series of Poker when he made two final tables and won his 1st WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha game. At the final table he destroyed quite a few 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 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 on the planet. Ivey credits his achievements to hard work and an undying passion for the game of poker. He says that he’s picking up skills every single day and is incredibly abashed about his success. He admits to making mistakes in each game of poker and constantly strives to improve.

Although Ivey has won some large tournaments, he prefers winning money games on a normal basis.