Phil Ivey

Phil Ivey is an American professional poker player born in Riverside, California, and raised in Roselle, New Jersey. Nicknamed the “Tiger Woods of Poker,” he built a career spanning live and online poker. His television appearances include High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark, and he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017.

Before becoming established in poker, Ivey worked for a telemarketing company in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His teenage Atlantic City years gave him another enduring nickname, “No Home Jerome”: he played using identification bearing the name Jerome Graham, and his constant presence in the cardrooms helped the nickname stick.

Despite his intimidating table presence, Ivey says that image was never deliberately cultivated. He explained that watching himself on television helped him understand why opponents found him intimidating. Away from the tables, he has described a quieter routine centered on family, golf, meditation, and yoga.

Ivey has also shared his expertise through teaching. His poker-training business, Ivey League, launched in 2014 with instruction from him and other professionals. He subsequently created a MasterClass covering table image, reading opponents, bluffing, and betting strategy. In November 2022, the World Poker Tour appointed him an ambassador.

His charitable work has reflected his family connections. The Budding Ivey Foundation was named partly in honor of his late grandfather, Leonard “Bud” Simmons, with his mother, Pamela Ivey, serving as treasurer. Its documented early work included supporting a Las Vegas educational academy for children.