Phil Ivey earned the alias, Tiger Woods of Poker, because of his resemblance to the famous golfer. Find out more about this top poker player in this spotlight!
Even if he has made more in the last few years for his legal battles in the UK and the United States because of his edge-sorting techniques , Phil Ivey still is one of the best poker players in the game. Due to his uncanny resemblance to a professional golf player (Ivey actually plays golf in real life!), he is often referred to as the Tiger Woods of poker. Since he also expects to win every time he plays, this adds to his resemblance to the golf professional. Ivey was born on the first of February, in 1977. When he was just three months old, he moved to Roselle, NJ.
His journey toward becoming one of the
leading poker players began when he won his first World Series of Poker
bracelet at the $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha event in 2000. The prize money that he
collected was close to $200,000. Next, he proceeded to win another seven
bracelets before scoring the World Poker Tour title at 2008’s WPT L.A. Poker
Classic.
Phil
Ivey’s Background
Phil Ivey started playing poker in Atlantic
City’s casinos under the alias of a 21-year old Jerome Graham. Casinos had zero
knowledge that “Jerome’s” real identity was Phil Ivey and his real
age was 18 at that time. When Ivey legally turned 21, he stopped using fake
I.D.s. He was of age to play in the casinos.
Making
a Mark in World Series of Poker (WSOP) and World Poker Tour
Ivey took on the WSOP in 2000 and cashed in
three events. His best cash out was his third, which roped in almost $200,000
in prize money. However, he did not wait long to return to WSOP glory. Just two
years later, he won an additional three bracelets after cashing in seven
events. In the following years, Ivey scored more than 40 money finishes. It’s
safe to say that Ivey’s 7th place finish at the 2009 WSOP Main Event was most
profitable. He managed to collect nearly $1.5 million in cash.
Ivey made a name for himself again in 2003.
It was his participation in Five-Star World Poker Classic. Apart from winning
two events, he also earned a top three spot in the main event. With hard work
and persistence, Ivey won first place in 2008 after taking down the L.A. Poker
Classic Main Event. His prize money was nearly $1.6 million.
Phil
Ivey’s 5 Most Recent WSOP Results
A$2,200 Mixed Event 1st (2013)
$3,000 H.O.R.S.E. 1st (2010)
$2,500 No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw 1st (2009)
$2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 1st (2009)
Pot Limit Omaha 1st (2005)
Other
Notable Achievements
One of the founders of the Full Tilt Poker
online poker site was none other than Phil Ivey. He was the icon of Full Tilt
Poker, its ambassador, and a member of the site’s Team Pro for seven years.
However, the website ceased its operations after losing its Aldreney e-gaming
license in 2011. Since then, Ivey dissociated himself from Full Tilt. He felt
that it would not have been fair for him to continue playing, especially when
other players couldn’t.
However, tournaments are not all that Ivey
does though. In Vegas, he has been a regular fixture in the Big Game. He is
known to lock horns with Jennifer Harman, Chau Giang, Barry Greenstein, Doyle
Brunson, and other renowned players in the game.
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