Phil Ivey

Phil Ivey has earned a reputation as the best poker player in the world bar none though consistent winning in the biggest cash games available and a string of six and seven figure tournament results, but what is it that has created such a formidable talent? Phil Shaw takes a look at the man behind the stare…

            Perhaps the most interesting fact about Phil Ivey on the surface is that, unlike his other high stakes contemporaries, he has no nickname – he is simply Phil Ivey, and that by itself is enough to strike fear into his opponents by what the name signifies: a mixture of constant focused aggression, a cool impassive demeanour and a fierce determination to win.

These traits it seems are what are has created the ‘Tiger Woods of poker’, and although he has ‘unmatched raw talent’ according to Barry Greenstein Ivey himself is reluctant to accept the mantle of genius putting much of his success down to sheer hard work. Having started out playing 16 hour days in the low limit stud games of Atlantic city on a fake ID he managed over the course of a decade to do what only a few manage in an entire lifetime and became one of the strongest players in the big game at Bellagio where the usual stakes are $2000/4000 limit and big bet games have a cap of $100,000 a hand.

This rapid rise was complemented by perhaps the most impressive record in tournament poker since Stu Ungar, with three bracelets in three W.S.O.P.s from 2000-2002 building into a constant series of six and seven figure results and wins including Turning Stone and back to back at the Monte Carlo Millions. Similarly though, his rise as a poker celebrity has been dismissed by Ivey, whose typical nonchalant response is that ‘I’m just a poker player’.

But whether its tournaments or live games, Ivey is not just a poker player – he is the poker player, and the name on everyone’s lips when you ask them who them most respect and least want to play. This also extends far beyond hold’em, with the ‘big game’ consisting of as many as ten variants of Hold’em, Omaha, Stud and Draw, and Ivey’s tournament record spanning results in Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, 7 Card Stud, and most notably a third in the inaugural $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event at the 2006 World Series Of Poker.

It is his Hold’em game that has received the most attention however thanks to the gaze of the TV cameras, and what is clear from his performances is a level of attentiveness that few other players possess – whether in watching every movement an opponent makes, or lost in his own head calculating the odds of a dozen possible scenarios for a hand he is involved in. Ivey is never rushed and, it would seem, too absorbed in the moment to worry about table banter or showmanship. Furthermore, as his opponents attest (see boxout), he is impossible to pin down, except for a relentless aggression that carries him through most games without ever seeming to place him in extreme danger.

Two hands illustrate his poise and tenacity, both coming at key moments in major events. Firstly, in facing off with Andy Black at the World Series of Poker main event in 2005, an incredible display of higher level thinking occurred when with the blinds at 20k/40k Ivey made it 140k in late position and Black reraised to 420k. Then Ivey re-reraised to 920k, after which Black though for a while and pushed all-in. Ivey rolled his eyes and folded K5, only to be shown A2. On this occasion then he had met his match in the only player left in the tournament prepared to play back at him, and pass the test which Ivey’s move had laid before him - whether he was prepared to commit to the hand and risk his tournament.

A similar situation came up at the Monte Carlo Millions later that year however where he more than made up for this earlier error in what many people have dubbed the hand of the decade. Heads up with Paul ‘ActionJack’ Jackson for the $1,000,000 first prize and with a 4-1 chip lead he raised to 84k preflop after Jackson completed the blind to 24k and was called by 56 offsuit, after which he made a standard bet of 80k on a flop of JJ7, which was raised by Jackson to 170k. At this point things got interesting, as Ivey now made it 320k and Jackson made it 470k leaving himself only 320k behind.

Both players were convinced the other had nothing yet Ivey now had a problem in that he only had Q8 offsuit and Jackson had committed over half his chips! However, rather than fold, he went into the tank for a reported eight minutes, asked Jackson for a countdown and finally decided that Jackson’s play was so incredibly strong that he could only have a massive hand or nothing, in which case Q hi was probably winning. He finally pushed all in, and Jackson meekly showed his hand to tournament director Matt Savage and declared ‘I suppose I’ll have to lay down this monster’ before mucking!

If such live displays aren’t enough though, in the last couple of years he has also earned a reputation as an online whiz playing on Full Tilt Poker in games including $1,000/2000 Limit Hold’em and Omaha Hi/Lo, and $200/400 Pot Limit Omaha and No Limit Hold’em (sometimes all at once) where his aggressive style can easily lead to massive swings against the assorted mixture of live and online superstars who frequent the tables. That said, his promotional duties for the site also involve a certain amount of accessibility to the average player, but even despite the fact that the game might be $3/6 limit and the location an airport lounge or limousine, it would seem that Phil Ivey still remains fiercely competitive and determined to win…

What the pros say…

Phil Ivey is a modern day poker savant. Because I wrote a book called ‘One of a Kind’, a biography of perhaps poker's greatest player ever, I am constantly asked which players in the game today compare to the late Stu Ungar. There is really only one name that comes to mind and that is Phil Ivey. His intuition, concentration, creativity, and courage are unmatched in both tournaments and live action. Having interviewed most of the top pros, the only name that consistently comes up on every one's 'most feared and respected list' is Phil Ivey. Unlike some pros, Ivey is not a product of hype or television - he earned his place at the top of poker's hierarchy.

Nolan Dalla, Media Director for the World Series of Poker

As a World Champion, I find it impossible to intimidate amateur players, because no matter how concerned they are about taking on a champ, they want to play a big pot with me so they have a story to take home. You would assume the same is true about Phil Ivey, given his strong reputation in the televised poker world.  However, somehow Phil still manages to intimidate his opponents so much that they still would rather fold than risk taking him on. I wish I knew how he does it. He excels in tournaments and in the biggest cash games. Everybody knows that they have no edge against Phil. Maybe in golf, but not in poker.

Greg Raymer, World Series of Poker Champion 2004 and PokerStars representative.

Probably the best all round poker player in the world. Very few players can be a master in both cash and tournament play because each require such a fundamentally different mind set in order to be consistently successful. But Phil Ivey is an absolutely top class cash player with great skill in most, if not all, different game formats and is also a highly successful tournament player.

He has a relentless rather than aggressive game, but is perceived as aggressive. He pounds on his opponents and his relentless attacking style often results in him getting paid with very big hands and benefiting from his opponents ‘cracking up’ at the same time because he generally makes small but relentless moves. When he meets significant resistance and he doesn’t have the goods he can get away without terminal damage most of the time.

Paul ‘ActionJack’ Jackson

I remember when I met Phil Ivey. At the time he had never won a tournament and he played fast and loose with no fear. He played K7 for a raise, hit two pair and busted me, but you could see he had talent, focus and determination and was going to be a success. He always seems to play with focus and determination and no fear. He is certainly is one of the best and most respected players. He is one that all poker players could model themselves after.

Kathy Liebert

I think he is the best tournament player in the world. He’s also the only player to graduate from the tournament field and be successful at the biggest game.

Barry Greenstein

I wish I knew half of what Phil does!

Joe Beevers of thehendonmob.com