Phil was born in the year 1977 in the small California town of Riverside. He was born and raised in your typical American middle-class family. Nothing was lacking, and family values were there to nurture him into a successful man as we know him today.
As it usually goes with prodigies, Ivey’s love for gambling was born when he was just a kid. He would often play a 5-card-stud with his grandfather. They would sometimes even throw a couple of pennies into the pot to make the game more interesting.
It didn’t take too long for young Phil to master the game and even create his own strategies. This prompted his grandfather to notice what a natural talent his grandson was — it is this moment that launched a future gambling master to the stars.
Do you know how in most American states, one can’t bet until they turn 21? Well, that wasn’t a problem for our young man who really, really loved card games. Ivey would often go to Atlantic City and gamble thanks to the fake ID he created. For years, casino operators knew him as Jerome Graham.
Mr. Jerome adored gambling so much that he even moved to Atlantic City, where he would gamble for more than 15 hours a day. And if you’ve ever heard someone calling Phil “No Home Jerome,” this is where the nickname comes from. Obviously, Ivey didn’t step out of casinos that much.
Mere Talent Isn’t Enough.
Often, simply having raw talent doesn’t quite cut it — that was exactly the case with Phil as well. Once he turned 21, he was adopted (in a gambling kind of way, if you follow me) by two very successful gamblers — Barry Greenstein and Daniel Negreanu. These successful gamblers decided to take Ivey under their wing and teach him all about professional gambling.
Before Phil picked up on their pieces of advice, he would often lose and empty his bankroll over reckless moves. Even nowadays, he pays gratitude to these two gentlemen who taught him more than he could ever ask for.
First Wins
Phil won his first WSOP in 2000, which made him $200,000 richer. However, this small victory brought him something much more important — the self-confidence he needed to skyrocket his career.
Having acquired many fans, he competed in WSOP 2001, too, where he didn’t win much, unfortunately. In 2003, however, Ivey went home with 3 WSOP golden bracelets — this cemented his name, and he would be known as a very serious gamble this year.
Since then, Ivey continued to line one successful year after another on WSOP. Here’s an overview of all his achievements:
[supsystic-tables id=4]
If this table made you believe that Ivey plays WSOP exclusively, you’re wrong. In 2005, he won a staggering $1 million at the Monte Carlo Millions tournament. Considering he was the first-ever winner of this tournament, as this was the year it started, Phil’s career was at an all-time high.
By now, you’re probably wondering if this man has ever lost a WSOP? Unfortunately, you can’t always be the best, and there are some tough competitors out there. Here are some of the names he lost to:
- Huck Seed in 2003
- Sam Farha in 2006
- Chris Reslock in 2007
- Andy Frankenberger in 2002
Other Tournaments
Phil always says that he loves traveling for the World Poker Tournaments. Therefore, he’s always on the run. In 2008, he played against Phil Hellmuth and won over $1.5 million — he was just as successful at WTP as he was at the WSOP.
In 2012, he took part in the Aussie Millions in the land of Oz. This is where he made a new friend, a well-known gambler Patrik Antonius against whom he won over 2 million U.S. Dollars. A year later, he came back and won another $3 million.
According to all of this, Phil Ivey’s net worth is well over $100,000,000, an amazing sum of money for a very successful gambler. Even today, Phil Ivey’s baccarat tactics are still famous among many gamblers.
Phil Ivey’s house is still in the USA, a country he will always call his home no matter where gambling takes him.
Cheating Scandals
Like any famous gambler out there, there has been some gossip of Phil Ivey cheating in the past. Although he was found guilty by the UK Supreme Court in 2012, it wasn’t for the reasons you would think. This year, he and his friend took part in Crokfords Club Tournament in Mayfair, where they won $7.7 million by Playing Punto Banco.
However, it turns out they used an edge-sorting technique, which basically means finding fallacies in face cards and using them to your advantage. This was a second Phil Ivey’s lawsuit this decade.
The judge found Ivey guilty after five long years of trial.
Ivey’s Life Today
Lately, Ivey decided to invest in some start-up businesses. In 2014, he established his own website called The Ivey League, where people can practice their poker skills. After all, Phil Ivey’s poker skills are widely spoken of even today. For only $9 a month, poker beginners can practice with the hope to compete one day.
Additionally, he invested in a cryptocurrency online casino, and he became a strategic advisor. His long and successful career may be on hiatus for now, but Phil always has a card up his sleeve.
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Most Common Questions about Phil Ivey:
How much Does Phil Ivey make a year?
This is quite difficult to determine as it mostly depends on which tournaments he won and how big his awards were. Annually, Phil always makes different digits.
How Much is Phil Ivey worth?
According to the latest data, Phil’s net worth is over $100 million.
Who is the richest poker player?
Phil Ivey and Sam Farha are two richest poker players up to this date.
How old is Phil Ivey?
Phil Iver is 42 years old. He was born on February 1st, 1977.
Is Phil Ivey Married?
Ivey is currently divorced; he was married to Lucciata Ivey from 2002 to 2009.
What happened to Phil Ivey, the poker player?
Currently, Phil isn’t competing in any poker tournaments. He turned to business — he operates his own poker-learning website, and he works with a cryptocurrency online casino.
Where does Phil Ivey live?
Phil currently resides in the USA, although he does travel a lot.
When did Phil Ivey start poker?
Phil started to play poker in 2002 legally; however, he was no stranger to the game as he gambled in Atlantic City.
Does Phil Ivey still play?
Currently, Phil’s career is on hiatus as he dedicates his time to other projects.
Where is Phil Ivey from?
Phil Ivey was born in California but moved to New Jersey, Roselle, when he was only 3 months old.