Profile of Phil Ivey

New to LiquidPoker? Register here for free!

Phil Ivey

Introduction
Phil Ivey is a regular in the $4000/$8000 big game in Las Vegas. He gained the respect of the live and online community, and of the tv-audience. This is no coincidence: whether he plays cash games, tournaments, limit or no limit, live or online, Phil is playing at the highest level.

Profile
Phil Ivey was born February 1, 1976 in Riverside, California and grew up in New Jersey. His grandfather taught him to play poker as a kid, and in the 1990's Phil started playing poker with his co-workers at a telemarketing firm. Until Ivey was 21 a Jerome Graham was playing in Atlantic city. A quiet young man, who seemed to absorb everything. As soon as he turned 21, the fake ID was tossed aside and Phil could finally become a professional poker player. In the online community Phil is well known from the high stakes games on fulltiltpoker, against players like Patrik Antonius and Brian Townsend. Online pro's agree that these games are played at the highest level. Ivey is famous for his great skill in No Limit Hold'em, but Barry Greenstein claims the best game of our hero is 7 card stud! Phil may be at his best in cash games, the TV-audience knows him for the many final tables and wins he achieved in big tournaments. He has 5 WSOP bracelets, three of which he won in one year (2002) and made it to 6 WPT final tables. In 2005 he won the Monte Carlo Millions tournament, taking home $1,000,000, only to win another $600,000 for first place at the Fulltiltpoker.net Invitational Live from Monte Carlo.

Ivey's other hobbies include video games, prop betting and golf. He is a L.A. Lakers and Houston Rockets fan, and can often be seen wearing basketball jerseys. So if you find yourself at a table with a sports’ jersey wearing guy who keeps scanning the room with a scary intensity, you'd better watch your game if you want to keep some of your stack against Phil.
Poker legend Doyle Brunson said recently he was grateful for people like Ivey who just want to play poker and not get into the whole media circus. Barry Greenstein about Ivey: "Ivey is the best tournament player in the world {and} he's the only player to graduate from the tournament field and be successful at the biggest game."

Bracelets:
•   05 May 2000 $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha $195,000
•   03 May 2002 $2,500 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo $118,440
•   10 May 2002 $2,000 S.H.O.E. $107,540
•   23 April 2002 $1,500 7 Card Stud $132,000
•   26 June 2005 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha $635,603