Phil Ivey

Phil Ivey

You can see why they call Phil Ivey the “Tiger Woods of Poker”. He bears more than a passing resemblance to the great golf star, and he is good too – “scary good” in the words of one commentator. Ivey is sometimes also known as “No Home Jerome” because of the name on the fake ID he used as a teenager. He displays a laser focused, unflappable character at the felt table, but is surprisingly shy and modest in other situations.

Ivey was born in 1976 and grew up in New Jersey. His grandfather taught him to play poker at the tender age of eight in an attempt to deter him from gambling. Young Phil developed a liking for the game, however, and eventually found a way to get in to the casinos of nearby Atlantic City: he bought an ID card from a telemarketing co-worker. He sat quietly absorbing everything going on around him and built up his skills with every game, although he often went home broke.

Career: Undeterred, Ivey kept learning and playing over the next few years, and in 2000 he entered the WSOP and placed fifth in the $2,000 No-Limit Texas Hold’em before taking away the bracelet in the $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha. From there he went on to take four more WSOP bracelets, including an incredible three in 2002 ($2,000 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo, $2,000 S.H.O.E and $1,500 7 Card Stud), and one in 2005, the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha.

His tournament wins have not stopped there. He just seems to ace any game he takes on, and has shown his all-round chops in nine final tables at the WSOP, and eight WPT final tables, including one win. In 2005, he won the Monte Carlo Millions, scoring himself a $1 million prize. Just the next day, he banked another $600,000 when he won the FullTiltPoker.Net Invitational Live from Monte Carlo. In 2006 he earned a second place in the European Poker Tour in Barcelona and a seventh position in the first European Poker Masters in London.

Ivey is also a very successful cash player. He frequently plays, and wins, the “Big Game” at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. In 2006 he played for “The Corporation”, a group of top-flight players, against self-made billionaire Andy Beal at the Bellagio and reportedly beat Beal out of a heart-stopping $16 million. He has appeared on a number of poker shows on TV, including NBC’s “National Heads-Up Poker Championship”, where he was beaten by actor Don Cheadle in 2007.

In 2006, Ivey was recognized for his achievements when he was named Player of the Year by All In Magazine, Bluff Magazine, and the UK Gaming Awards. He is constantly working at improving his game, and is always modest about his skills. He gets accolades from many of the greats of poker including Barry Greenstein, who called him “the best tournament player in the world”. He has amassed around $10 million in tournament earnings to date.

As part of Team Full Tilt, Ivey plays online in the Full Tilt room under his own name for at least an hour each day, and is known for offering help and advice to less experienced players.

Personal information:
Ivey lives in Las Vegas with his wife Luciaetta. Like many poker players, he enjoys playing golf, and also plays basketball and video games.