Phil Ivey

Meet Phil Ivey. He likes his home with all of its gadgets and luxuries. He likes golf, video games, and working out at the gym. He likes basketball, especially the Los Angeles Lakers. He loves poker. He loves the art of the gamble. He loves competition, and he loves winning. He loves his wife, Luciaetta. He dislikes the remote controls in his house. He dislikes chaos and disorganization. He dislikes sunglasses at the poker table. He dislikes being called the Tiger Woods of poker.

He hates' Well, he doesn't hate anything. He is an even-tempered and rational man who seems to find purpose in everything in his life and displays a calm apathy about that which doesn't pertain to him. He is thoughtful about the past, appreciative of the present, and optimistic about the future. This is the Phil Ivey that one would meet at a friendly get-together.

The Phil Ivey that one would encounter at a poker table, however, is a bit different. While maintaining his composure and not fumbling a single chip, he eyes his opponents with a cold, intense stare. He contemplates every move in the game with an amount of reflection and seriousness that only comes from years of experience and a deep-seated passion for the game.

Both the personal and professional sides of Phil are intertwined in such a way to make an interesting representation of a poker player.

Phil was born in 1976. As a child in Atlantic City, New Jersey, he was exposed to poker earlier than most players, but in a city whose name is synonymous with gambling, it would have been difficult to avoid the game. At eight years old, his grandfather showed him how to play Five-Card Stud, and his way with the cards seemed all too natural. He subsequently learned other poker games, and by the age of sixteen, he was playing in backroom games for money.

Phil began sneaking into casinos at seventeen or eighteen with a fake identification card. The name on the ID was Jerome Graham, and he has always been proud of the fact that he passed himself off as Jerome for several years. Other players in the casino even nicknamed him 'No Home Jerome' because he spent so much time there.

Though Phil was already a talented player as a teenager, he didn't make enough money at the poker tables to support himself and build a bankroll. He found reasonable success at a telemarketing company, and he also found new friends with whom he could sharpen his poker skills. He also became an avid video game player, which only enhanced his concentration and intensified his need for competition.

When Phil turned 21, he began to frequent the Tropicana in Atlantic City under his own name, surprising the casino staff and his fellow players. Nevertheless, the deception took a backseat to his reputation as a likable gentleman and top-notch competitor.

For several years, Phil mastered his live game and made a solid living as a professional poker player. Though his friends and family warned him against such a precarious lifestyle, he chose to follow his passion for the game. By teaching himself the finer points of poker, using his acute memory to remember hands and tells, and letting his enthusiasm lead the way, he garnered much respect as a professional.

Making friends in the business never hurt, either. Being in the company of fellow players like Daniel Negreanu helped his game, and he soon began to follow them into the world of tournament play.

In 2000, Phil began entering poker tournaments like the World Series of Poker, displaying his versatility and skills in a variety of games by placing fifth in $2,000 Texas No Limit Hold 'Em event and winning his first bracelet at the $2,500 Omaha Pot Limit event. The prize money and title of champion spurred him on, and he was promptly traveling around the country to play in numerous of tournaments.

Phil continued to do well outside of his ongoing cash games, placing in the top ten of thirteen more tournaments in less than two years. In 2002, he entered several events at the WSOP and won his next three bracelets, this time in the S.H.O.E., Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo, and H.O.R.S.E. events. He capped this by winning his fifth bracelet in 2005 at Pot Limit Omaha. If there was any doubt about this young players abilities prior to those achievements, there would be no more. His expertise in such an assortment of games took him to another level of recognition and status in the world of poker.

Many fans of the game got their first look at Phil when he appeared at the World Poker Finals at Foxwoods, broadcast worldwide by the World Poker Tour. He then made the final table at five more WPT tournaments, two of those being the World Championships, in the show's first three seasons alone. Though he continues to strive for a victory on the WPT, his presence there has been made known and his skills are undeniable.

Now living in Las Vegas, Phil is known to play in the largest high-stakes cash poker games in the world, which is where he continues to be successful and find the most challenge. In addition, his notoriety has brought about a number of endorsements for online gaming websites and other business endeavors that subsidize his lifestyle. Though he doesn't exactly adore the spotlight that some of this fame has provoked, he remains grateful that he can pursue his dreams and enjoy his successes.

And through it all, since his high school days and controversial career decisions as a young man, a woman named Luciaetta has been supportive and understanding. Phil lights up when he talks about his wife and their bright future together. Between marrying his high school sweetheart and becoming a winning poker professional, life couldn't be better for him.

When people discuss the great players in today's poker world, Phil is one of those mentioned in the company of others like Doyle, Jennifer, Barry, and Daniel. A first name is all that is necessary to identify those who will go down in history as the 'greats' - those who set the standards, show nothing but respect for the game, and demonstrate the class and style that is suitable for a poker pro.