Phil Ivey
As professional wrestler Ric Flair would say, “To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.” Right now, “The Man” in professional poker would be Phil Ivey. Phil Ivey started his poker career in Atlantic City casinos where he used to play with a fake ID and go by the name “Jerome.” Once he was old enough to actually play in the casino legally, he went to his regular casino buddies and told them the truth.
Phil Ivey is one of the few players that can consistently win at both cash games and tournaments. Ivey actually prefers to play cash games due to the amount of money that can be won at the game. He is a regular player in the “Big Game” in Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio and has been mentored by all-time great poker players such as Doyle Brunson and the legendary Chip Reese. With the recent passing of Reese, many consider Ivey to be the all around best poker player in the world.
Although he prefers cash games, his success in tournaments has him among the all time greats in poker. He has 5 bracelets at the World Series of Poker. His first came in 2000 when he won the $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha event. He then tied a WSOP record by winning three bracelets in a single year in 2002. He won the $2,000 S.H.O.E. bracelet, the $2,500 Stud 8 or Better bracelet, and the $1,500 7 Card Stud bracelet. He would then go on to win the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Event in 2005.
Ivey also has one WPT title to his claim. He took down the WPT event at the L.A. Poker Classic in early 2008 for his first WPT title and $1.5 Million. In total, Ivey has 8 final tables with the WPT. In addition to his WSOP and WPT titles, he holds numerous titles around the US and the World, including the $25,000 No Limit Holdem event at the 2005 Monte Carlo Millions and the $120,000 Full Tilt Poker Invitational.
For his poker career, Ivey has won $10 Million in live tournaments, which puts him 7th on the all-time money list. The amazing thing about his story is that he has accomplished all these feats at just 32 years of age. He is commonly known as the “Tiger Woods of Poker” due to his dominance of the poker world. Ivey also is capable of dominating players in any game. His best game is considered to be Stud, but when he is at any poker table, players tremble.
The measuring stick for the poker world is Phil Ivey. Although players such as Doyle Brunson and T.J. Cloutier get respect for what they have accomplished, all up and coming players look at Phil Ivey as the player they would most want to be like. Normally a player this dominant would be prone to an eventual burnout, but with Ivey’s background and the mentoring he has received, it is safe to assume that Ivey will continue to be the measuring stick to come for at least the next 20 years.
Tags: Atlantic City, Chip Reese, Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Tiger Woods of Poker, World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker, WPT, WSOP, WSOP Bracelet, WSOP Main Event