Phil Ivey has been labeled as the number one poker contender on the planet by quite a few of the top professionals. Phil was born in Riverside, CA and relocated to NJ before reaching the age of 1. His papa taught him penny-ante 5-Card Stud poker. From that point on, he was hooked on poker and wished to learn anything he possibly could about the game. He routinely would tell his grandparents that he was planning on being a professional poker player. Phil didn’t permit the negative feedback from others destroy his dream of becoming one of the strongest poker competitors in the world.

He started competing intently after getting a fake ID with the name of Jerome. He honed his skills at the casinos of Atlantic City. The first few years for Phil were a teaching opportunity and coming away with a win wasn’t a common outcome at the time. Phil made his mark at the 2000 WSOP where he achieved 2 final tables and came away with his first WSOP bracelet, in a two dollar, five hundred Pot-Limit Omaha event. At the final table he destroyed a number of the better known professionals which includes "Amarillo Slim" Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, and Phil Hellmuth, Jr.

Phil made a decision to take his skills to the next level and headed out west to Las Vegas. Phil continues to participate in in "The Big Game" at the Bellagio with the best players in the world. Phil credits his achievements to dedication and an eternal love for poker. He states that he’s learning every single day and is quite humble about his achievements. He admits to making errors in each game of poker and always strives to improve.

Even though Phil has won some big-time tournaments, he prefers destroying cash games on a normal basis.