What is Phil Ivey’s Net Worth and Career Earnings?
Phil Ivey is an American professional poker player who has a net worth of $100 million. Phil Ivey is widely considered to be the greatest all-around player in the world. His achievements include ten World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour title. Ivey was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017.
Career Earnings
As of this writing Phil has earned over $19,500,000 in live tournaments. He has won tens of millions more, potentially over $100 million from private games.
Early Life
Phil Ivey was born on February 1, 1977 in Riverside, California. When he was still an infant, he moved with his parents to Roselle, New Jersey. As a teen, Ivey went to Old Bridge High School. It was during this time that he first got involved in the world of poker, using a fake ID card to play in Atlantic City. Later, while working at a telemarketing company as a young adult in the late 90s, Ivey further cultivated his poker playing skills by playing against his work colleagues.
World Series of Poker
In 2000, Ivey joined the World Series of Poker; an immediately formidable player, he won his first World Series bracelet that year in Pot Limit Omaha, and became the first person to beat Amarillo Slim heads-up at a World Series of Poker final table. Ivey’s best year came two years later when he claimed three bracelets, tying the record for the most World Series tournament victories in the same year. He won his next bracelet in Pot Limit Omaha in 2005, which came with a $635,603 winning haul. Ivey took two more bracelets in 2009, defeating 147 players in the $2,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball event and 376 players in the Omaha Hi/Lo / 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo event. Subsequently, in 2010, he claimed his eighth bracelet by defeating such high-profile players as Bill Chen and John Juanda in H.O.R.S.E. His ninth and tenth World Series bracelets came in 2013 and 2014, respectively, making him the youngest player ever as well as the fastest to win that many. Ivey has also been highly successful in the World Series Main Event, placing in the top 25 four times between 2002 and 2009.
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World Poker Tour
On the World Poker Tour, Ivey has made it to the final table nine times. In 2008, he claimed his first World Poker Tour title at the LA Poker Classic, beating such notable players as Phil Hellmuth and Nam Le to win the $1,596,100 first-place prize. Ivey has also competed on the European Poker Tour, having made his debut in Barcelona, Spain in 2006.
Other Tournaments
Ivey has competed in a myriad of other tournaments across the globe. In 2005, he played in the Monte Carlo Millions, where he captured the $1,000,000 first-place prize. The following year, he played in the inaugural European Poker Masters in London, where he finished in seventh place. Ivey has also competed on the television programs “Poker After Dark” and “High Stakes Poker.” In other tournament appearances, he won the High-Roller event and LK Boutique Challenge at the Aussie Millions.
Ivey has also played often in cash games. He is a regular player in the $4,000-$8,000 mixed cash game at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Additionally, he played heads-up Limit Texas Hold ’em against billionaire Andy Beal, winning more than $16 million during their matches. Meanwhile, in online poker, Ivey won nearly $20 million on Full Tilt.
Legal Cases
Due to allegations of cheating via edge-sorting manipulation, Ivey was twice sued by casinos. The first case was in 2012, when Crockfords in London accused him of cheating and refused to pay him his full winnings. Later, in 2014, the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City sued Ivey for over $15 million for cheating at baccarat. In both the Crockfords and Borgata cases, Ivey lost both his initial challenge and his appeal. He later had millions of his winnings recouped.
Personal Life and Charity
In 2002, Ivey married his wife Luciaetta. The pair eventually divorced at the end of 2009. A major sports fan beyond poker, Ivey supports the Los Angeles Lakers, Buffalo Bills, and Houston Rockets. He also likes to golf and play video games. Ivey lives in Las Vegas.
Ivey has used a portion of his earnings to give to charity. In 2008, he donated $50,000 to the Las Vegas charity Empowered 2 Excel, which helps disadvantaged children. Shortly after that, he founded the non-profit Budding Ivey Foundation, named after his grandfather. Ivey also founded the online poker application Ivey Poker and the poker training site Ivey League. Among his other endeavors, he partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation in 2010 to bring three children to the Bellagio casino.