Many experts consider Phil Ivey the best poker player in the world.
Ivey, a poker phenom though still not quite 30 years old, does not
quite look the part of a poker legend. He likes to wear basketball
jerseys to tournaments and is known for his love of video games. But
Ivey has given his fans bragging rights since he started his amazing
run at the 2000 World Series of Poker. With five WSOP bracelets to
his name already, Phil may one day pass the all-time leaders in
bracelets, Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan.
BACKGROUND
Phillip Ivey was born in Riverside, California in 1976. Before his
first birthday, his family moved across the country to Roselle, New
Jersey. Phil was taught poker by his grandfather. By the time he was
a teen, young Phillip had decided to master the game that would make
him famous. While still in high school, Phil began to clean out
tables full of adults. But he knew there was more to learn about the
game.
Phil Ivey plays live online at Full Tilt Poker
Phil began sneaking into Atlantic City when he was 18. He acquired
the name "No Home Jerome" from the fake I.D. card he used to get
through the front door. Still, Ivey had a lot to learn, and he would
spend a great deal of time and money over the next several years
learning to master the game. In the meantime, Phil worked a job as a
telemarketer. He was a natural selling over the phones, but had
little ambition to continue in a conventional profession.
Throughout the late-1990's, Ivey was building a bankroll. In 2000,
he took his game to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. He made
an instant splash, winning a $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha event. This
brought him a purse of nearly $200,000. Soon after, Phil would begin
playing in big money cash games in Vegas. The young sharp would make
a name for himself as a cash game expert.
THE PHENOM
Phil Ivey became known to the poker world at large in 2002. He won 3
World Series of Poker bracelets that year. It is a feat matched only
by Phil Hellmuth Jr. and Johnny Chan. Soon, Phil had acquired several
nicknames, among the "No Home Jerome" and "The Phenom". The most
unfortunate of the monnikers was "The Tiger Woods of Poker", which
hardly does credit to Mr. Ivey as either a superstar or an individual.
Regardless, Phil Ivey had become a fan favorite.
Ivey has done well in the World Series of Poker Main Event in recent
years, too. He finished 10th in the 2003 main event, 23rd in 2002 and
20th in 2005. In an era when the field grows by a couple of thousand
every year, to perform so well in a string of main events is
remarkable. He also won a 5th WSOP bracelet in 2005.
Just as remarkable is Ivey's combination of outward calm and
strategic aggressiveness. I have heard Phil described as shy away
from the table. I wonder if a better word isn't reserved. I've known
a few skilled telemarketers in my times and they are rarely the shy or
retiring. Yet Phil Ivey's professionalism has served him well over
the years, making him a tough read for opponents.
BEYOND THE WORLD SERIES OF POKER
Despite his success in tournaments, Phil Ivey is most respected by
his peers for his success playing in cash games. He now plays in a
high-stakes game in Los Angeles, matching wits with the likes of Doyle
Brunson, Chip Reece and Barry Greenstein. Phil plays sometimes at
Larry Flynt's high stakes game at the Hustler Casino.
Interestingly, Phil has not matched that success during his somewhat
limited career on the World Poker Tour. He has made several final
tables, but never notched a win. Yet his tournament reputation is not
entirely confined to the World Series of Poker. He won the 2004
Championship at Turning Stone.
Ivey also won first at the Monte Carlo Millions event in late 2005,
taking home a smooth million dollars. Just five days later, Phil won
another event at Monte Carlo, this one FullTiltPoker.com's Invitation.
This event, which was broadcast live on FoxSportsNet, brought him
nearly three-quarters of a million dollars.
Phil Ivey is branching out beyond the poker room, too. He is part of
the highly successful FullTiltPoker design team. He and his wife live
in Las Vegas, where he spends quite time with the family. Like the
big kid he is, Phil spends time playing video games, for which he was
once renowned.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
♠ 1st Place in a 2000 World Series of Poker Pot Limit Omaha event.
♠ 1st Place in a 2002 World Series of Poker Seven-card Stud event.
♠ 1st Place in a 2002 World Series of Poker Seven-Card Stud High Low event.
♠ 1st Place in a 2002 World Series of Poker S.H.O.E. (mixed game) event.
♠ 1st Place in a 2005 World Series of Poker Pot Limit Hold 'Em event.
♠ 1st Place in the 2004 Championship at Turning Rock.
♠ 1st Place in the 2005 Monte Carlo Millions.
♠ 1st Place in the 2005 FullTiltPoker.com Invitational.
♠ Nearly $5.4 million in career tournament winnings.
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This page was last updated on June 5th, 2006.
