The Success of Phil Ivey in the World of Poker
Phil Ivey is one of those professional poker players who have been achieving a lot in the world of poker at such a young age. Just like any other professional poker players, the key factors that have been giving him good luck all these years are determination, discipline, and seriousness in playing poker.
Phil Ivey was first exposed to the game of poker during his teenage years. He was only sixteen years old when he really learned how to play poker, and he was seventeen years old when he started to go to casinos. Yes, he was still a minor then, which was why he was securing a fake identification card at that time. His name on his ID card was Jerome Graham and no one even doubted that he was a minor. Phil Ivey, of course, was using such ID card for four years, and when he turned twenty one, he even approached casino managers to apologize for lying about his age. Well, nobody judged him or said anything bad after finding out about it. So, he continued to play in the casinos he frequented when he was still a teenager.
Born in Riverside, California on February 1, 1976, it was in the year 2000 when this professional poker player successfully showed other professional poker players his stellar talent. He participated in the US$2,500 Pot Limit Omaha event of the World Series of Poker and placed first. He took home the cash prize of US$195,000 aside from the World Series of Poker bracelet that he earned for the very first time. He was barely twenty four years old when he won his first World Series of Poker bracelet.
Phil Ivey may not have won any bracelet in 2001 but he earned three World Series of Poker bracelets in 2002. The events that this professional poker player participated in included the US$2,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, the US$200 S.H.O.E., and the US$1,500 Seven Card Stud events, wherein he took home US$118,440, US$107,540, and US$132,000, respectively.
This professional poker player won his fifth World Series of Poker bracelet in 2005 when he joined the US$5,000 Pot Limit Omaha event, wherein he took home US$635,603.
The success of Phil Ivey does not merely come from the World Series of Poker tournaments. He has also experienced reaching the final tables of the World Poker Tour although he has not yet win a World Poker Tour title.
This professional poker player has been participating in other poker events as well, such as the European Poker Tour, the European Poker Masters, and some poker tournaments on the Internet.
Well, this professional poker player also has a life outside poker. He is particularly fond of basketball, and has been a fan of the basketball teams Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets. As a matter of fact, when he goes to poker events, he usually wears basketball jerseys.