Phil Ivey - Professional Poker Player

Introduction

A member of the WSOP Hall of Fame and winner of ten WSOP bracelets - He has plenty of high-profile wins to his name. Who is he? The famed Poker professional - Phillip Dennis Ivey Jr.

Take a look at Phil Ivey's biography, net worth, winnings, personal life, poker strategies, and more.

Phil Ivey At a Glance

Category: Richest Celebrities

Net Worth: $100 Million

Birthdate: Feb 1, 1977 (47 years old)

Birthplace: Riverside

Gender: Male

Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)

Profession: Professional Poker Player

Nationality: United States of America

Who is Phillip Ivey?

Ivey, an American professional Poker player, is one of the most recognised names in the industry. His achievements include ten World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles. He is a frequent WPT tablist and crusher in many high-stakes Poker cash games. In 2014, he won the No Limit Hold’em $250,000 Challenge at the Aussie Millions Poker Championship. This African-American player was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017.

In November 2022, the World Poker Tour signed him as its ambassador.

Phil Ivey's Early Life

Known worldwide as “the Tiger Woods of Poker” and “No Home Jerome,” Phil Ivey was born on February 1, 1977, in Riverside, California, USA. Since childhood, he has been fascinated by card games. He started honing his Poker skills by competing with his co-workers in a telemarketing firm in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Believe it or not, he started playing Poker using a fake identification card as he was underage and, therefore, not allowed to play games with real money. At 23, he won his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) title by defeating players like Phil Hellmuth and Amarillo Slim. By the time he reached the age of 30, he had shipped five WSOP tournaments. He got the nickname “The Phenom” after shipping three WSOP bracelets in 2002.

What is Phil Ivey's Net Worth?

Like many poker players, Phil Ivey is private about his financial status. However, his net worth is estimated at approximately $125 million. Ivey's earnings come from over $42 million in live poker tournament winnings and substantial profits from high-stakes cash games. His business ventures, table games, and sports betting have significantly contributed to this impressive figure.

How did Phil Ivey Make His Money?

Phil Ivey’s net worth is over $125 Million. He has earned over $38,000,000 in live tournament cash (according to the Hendon Mob). Phil Ivey’s earnings have reached such massive figures by landing big cash throughout his career. 

Many of his winnings come from competing in high-stake online cash games on various platforms. He is said to have won over $10M in profits by playing online Poker.

Phil Ivey's Personal Life

Phil Ivey was previously married to Lucietta (2003 to 2009). They separated after seven years of marriage. Ivey is currently based in Las Vegas. The player consciously keeps his personal life away from the limelight and rarely talks about his relationships in the media.

Phil Ivey's Family

Phil Ivey married Luciaetta in 2003, and they divorced in December 2009. During their marriage, which lasted for seven years, they were a prominent couple in the poker community. The details about their children are not publicly documented. 

Since the divorce, Phil Ivey has kept his personal life even more private. Ivey resides in Las Vegas and remains one of the most enigmatic figures in poker. He is focused on his career and maintains a distinct line between his professional and personal life.

Phil Ivey Masterclass

In 2014, he launched ‘Ivey League’, an online Poker coaching platform for players who want to become professional Poker players.

These days, Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu are offering Poker training courses that players can join to learn the essentials of winning Poker. Through online masterclass, Phil Ivey teaches Poker strategy to aspiring players. He shares his secrets and tips for immense Poker success with them to help them take their game to the next level and become a star Poker player. By joining his masterclass, newbies can get Phil Ivey lessons on various aspects of the game, such as Poker maths, game theory, bankroll management, table image, table positions, check-raise, 3-bet, bluffing, etc.  

Phil Ivey’s Poker Strategy

• “I’d work on my game online and at casinos, build my bankroll, find good games, and try to put myself in a position to keep winning and earn a steady income.” - Ivey.

According to Ivey, patience and consistency are the keys to success in Poker.

• “Many people these days are too ambitious; their sights are set too high at the start, and they dive in too deep, quitting their day job too soon. They move to Vegas or wherever make an all-or-nothing commitment before they’re ready, and burn out.”  - Ivey.

As per Ivey, emotions can irritate you on the Poker table. Therefore, balancing emotional and logical thinking and devising a game plan is essential.

• “The biggest thing when you're playing live is that you're sitting across from the player and can get a detailed impression of how they're acting and whether they're expressing strength or weakness. Online, it's much more about betting patterns, and you're using a much narrower range of cues to what they're holding and thinking.”  - Ivey.

A player must know how to figure out what the opponent is holding. To decipher the ‘tells,’ you must observe his betting pattern and playing style ( time he takes to make his move, table talks, level of interest he exhibits in hand, etc.).

• “You’ve got to take some chances and know when you are beaten and how to get certain advantages.”  - Ivey.

Ivey believes that calculated risk-taking is essential in the game. You need to assess the risk, analyse your opponent and decide whether to hold or fold.

Phil Ivey is universally regarded as one of the best Poker players alive. With patience, dedication and practice, every player can achieve anything he can hope for in the realm of Poker. What matters the most is consistently improving your skills and knowledge through practice and training. The more you play, the more you learn, and the more you win!

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Phil Ivey's WSOP Bracelets

Phil Ivey's Top Five Live Poker Results

Phil Ivey Controversies

Phil Ivey is a successful poker player known for his outstanding skills at the table. However, he has also been involved in a couple of major controversies. He was connected with Full Tilt Poker, an online poker site that crashed, leaving many players to lose money until Pokerstars rescued them. Ivey got $920,000 from the company before it failed.

Another controversy occurred when Ivey and his friend used a technique called "edge sorting," which he used while playing Baccarat in casinos in the United Kingdom and won millions of dollars. The casinos declined to pay the amount and accused Ivey of advantage play. This issue was resolved after six years of legal proceedings, in which the court judged in favour of the casino.

In April 2023, Ivey went to court over a deal with a cannabis company in Las Vegas named NuVeda. He gave them almost $2 million for a 3% company equity, expecting a $1.75 million ROI as per the 23% interest agreed by the company. However, he only received $250,000 since NuVeda filed bankruptcy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money has Phil Ivey won playing poker?

Ivey has won around $42 million playing live poker tournaments and high-stakes cash games.

How many World Series of Poker bracelets does Phil Ivey have?

He has won ten WSOP bracelets since 2000.

What is Phil Ivey's Net Worth?

Ivey has a net worth of around 125 million $.

Is Phil Ivey married?

He was married to Luciaetta, and they got divorced in 2009.

Did Phil Ivey cheat at Baccarat?

He did not cheat. He used a technique called edge sorting while playing Baccarat. Edge sorting is considered an advantage play, so it is unethical. 

Conclusion

Phil Ivey is a legendary figure in the poker world. He has ten World Series of Poker bracelets and numerous other accolades, and his biography reveals a net worth estimated at around $125 million. This fortune stems from his prowess in poker tournaments and high-stakes cash games and his involvement in business and online poker. Additionally, he contributes to the poker community through his masterclass, sharing strategies and insights to help others excel in the game.