World Series of Poker Player Bio: Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey’s poker career began at a very early age for him. His grandfather taught him Five Card stud when he was only eight years old. While teaching him the card game, his grandfather also cheated by dealing off the bottom, in hopes of teaching Phil an even greater lesson about the dangers involved with gambling. However, young Phil Ivey wasn’t moved by his grandfather’s lessons and he decided that he was going to be a professional gambler during his teenage years.
Phil began playing local poker games and learning various poker strategies when he was only 16. The competition was no match for him and after two years of playing poker locally, he decided to move towards bigger pots. Phil was only 18 when he found his way with a fake ID into an Atlantic City casino. It took Phil a few years, and even more money, to understand and become the master of every poker game. Atlantic City soon became his full time residence.
Phil decided he wanted to become the world’s greatest poker player and moved on from Atlantic City and into Las Vegas. At the age of 24, he played in the World Series of Poker and landed his first bracelet in $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. Phil managed to beat some of the biggest names in the professional poker field. The name Phil Ivey spread like wild fire as Phil moved onto high stakes games in various Las Vegas casinos.
However in 2002, Phil proved to the world that he was one of the greatest poker players by winning three World Series of Poker bracelets across three different events. The fact that Phil could play any event and beat out the competition proved Phil’s mastery of the game. Three years later, Phil would secure another win and another bracelet. At the end of 2005, Phil’s career tournament winnings fall just below six million dollars.
When Phil isn’t cleaning up the World Series of Poker tournaments, he can be found in high stakes games of $4000/$8000. He claims it offers the biggest rush and also the biggest challenge. When Phil isn’t playing poker in real life, he can be found online at Full Tilt Poker. One of Phil’s most elaborate wins would be when he beat out Texas billionaire Andy Beal for sixteen million dollars over the course of three days. It is rumored that after the loss, Andy Beal has given up playing poker.
Phil currently resides outside of Las Vegas with his wife Luciaetta. He is an avid basketball fan and can be found wearing numerous basketball jerseys while playing. Phil’s hobbies include traveling, video games and movies, proposition gambling, and golf.
The World Series of Poker kicks off on July 29th, and you can be sure to see Phil Ivey in a number of events.
