Phil Ivey (The Tiger Woods of Poker)

He's sort of the ultimate poker boss. One of the biggest winners in history, one of the most respected players and one who amazes both by his talent and his longevity in the game. It's impossible to claim to love poker without knowing Phil Ivey.

A precocious talent who will revolutionise the game

Born in Riverside, California, Phil Ivey grew up on the east coast in New Jersey. His father introduced him to poker at the age of eight, and young Phil immediately showed great skill. At the age of 18, he began frequenting casinos, taking on the identity of one of his colleagues, "Jérome Graham". He spent so much time there that his friends nicknamed him "No Home Jerome". But little by little, his nickname would evolve to become "the Tiger Woods of Poker".

Because he is one of the few black personalities in the game, but above all, because he revolutionised the way the game was played and crushed everything in his path. His aggressive style, his ability to read his opponent and vary his game in unpredictable ways give him a head start over the whole field.

Success and millions in spades

In 2000, he won his first WSOP bracelet, and $195,000 in a Pot Limit Omaha tournament. In 2002, he took three bracelets, in Stud and variants. From 2003 onwards, Phil moved into the bigger buy-ins. He takes half a million dollars at the Verona Championship and then a million dollars at the Monte Carlo Millions.

Also a cash game player, Phil Ivey regularly shaves the highest limits in Las Vegas. Engaged in a challenge against Andy Beal, he won $16 million in three days against the American billionaire.

GOAT still in business

Contrary to some of his counterparts at the time, Phil Ivey has never stopped winning major tournaments. He now has 10 WSOP Bracelets, 9 WPT final tables, and more than eight winnings over the million dollar mark. As proof of his longevity, he now competes against the best players of the new generation with great success. He won the Tritons Series Short Deck tournament in Montenegro in 2018, finishing 3rd two days later in the Super High Roller for 2.2 million in prize money in the week. He is still stringing together six- and seven-figure performances at the 2019 WSOPE in Rozvadov or the Party Poker Millions in Sochi in 2020.

In June 2021, he wins again in a prestigious $25,000 buy-in online heads-up tournament, which brings together the cream of high-limit grinders. He successively knocked down the stars to take the trophy and $400,000, before returning to live action at the Super High Roller Bowl Europe in Cyprus. Once again, the best players were present. And once again, Phil Ivey is ahead of them, with a first and second place finish to flirt with $1 million in winnings over the week.

There's no point in listing all of Phil Ivey's track record. Whether live, online, in tournaments or cash games, on TV or in private, this player has forever written his name into the legend of the game. And it's hard to say who could dispute his unofficial title as the greatest player of all time.