Phil Ivey
Poker Player Profile – Phil Ivey Poker Player
Poker player Phil Ivey, known as Tiger Woods of Poker, has won five WSOP bracelets. Now he concentrates on high stakes online poker at Full Tilt Poker.
Entry To Poker
Phil Ivey grew up in New Jersey. He learnt Five Card Stud from his grandfather. His grandfather cheated in an effort to discourage young Ivey from playing but this had no effect. At the age of 16 Ivey was playing in backroom games for money and then with his co-workers in a telemarketing firm. At the age of 18 he obtained a fake ID in the name of Jerome Graham so that he could play at the casinos in Atlantic City. Since he spent most of his time there he was nick named “No Home Jerome”. However success eluded him till he made good in WSOP 2000.
Live Poker Tournaments
Ivey’s live poker tournaments saga began with a bracelet in WSOP 2000, when he became the first poker player to beat Amarillo Slim heads up at a WSOP final table. In WSOP 2002 Ivey won three bracelets. His fifth WSOP bracelet was won in 2005. All five bracelets were won before his 30th birthday. Ivey is the only poker player to have made it to eight WPT final tables. His only WPT win came in the last of these at the Los Angeles poker Classic. Ivey has also enjoyed successes in other prestigious poker tournaments at the Bellagio and Commerce casinos. For his outstanding performance in 2005 Ivey was named Player of the Year by All In Magazine, Bluff Magazine and the UK Gaming Awards. Ivey’s total live tournament earnings are about $9.2 million. He has had 16 first place finishes and 95 cashes.
Ivey has featured in poker television shows like Poker After Dark, National Heads-Up Poker Championship and High Stakes Poker. He regularly plays the $4,000-$8,000 mixed poker cash game at the Bellagio Casino.
Online Poker
Ivey is a member of the professional poker players’ team at the online poker room Full Tilt Poker and plays exclusively there. He is a regular at the high stakes tables. The stakes in no limit games go as high $500-$1000 and in the limit cash games as high as $2000-$4000. Wins or losses of over half a million dollars a session is normal. It is estimated that Ivey earned $1.99 million in online poker in 2007 and $7.34 million in 2008.
Other Poker Achievements
Unlike many other poker professionals Ivey does not make any effort in promoting his image. He concentrates on the poker and fame and fortune follow. One of the unusual highlights of his career was when he beat Texas billionaire Andy Beal for $16 million in three days.
Despite his penchant for high stakes games he plays regularly at the $0.50-$1 poker tables at Full Tilt Poker so as to give ordinary poker players a chance to play with him. He takes genuine interest in their poker game and offers tips. He is also tutoring up-and-coming poker professional Victor Ramdin.
Ivey lives in Las Vegas with his wife. He is a Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets fan. His hobbies include video games, prop betting and golf. He finished third in the inaugural World Series of Golf. In this event players bet or fold on each hole.