Can Phil Ivey win the World Series of Poker?

As the final table of the World Series of Poker main event prepares for its restart all eyes in the world of poker turn towards Vegas. Out of the nine players left, one name jumps from the list as being a real danger, despite his small chip stack. Phil Ivey. Ivey has become a legend at poker tables across the world, mastering a variety of game variations and becoming the third highest in the all-time money winners list but can Phil Ivey win the World Series of Poker from such a short stack?

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When you watch Phil Ivey play poker it’s like watching a neurosurgeon work. He’s calm and decisive and rarely shows any sign of emotion but inside that head you know his mind is working. He’s calculating pot odds, observing your play and betting patterns and he’s working you out, little-by-little. Then when a chance comes his way he duly takes it, and often your entire stack too.

Phil Ivey was born in California but Ivey and his family moved to New Jersey when he was three months old. Ivey learned how to play poker while working at a telemarketing firm when he was in his early 20’s but has since become regarded as the best poker player alive today, picking up 35 cash finishes and 7 bracelets in the World Series of Poker and 11 cash finishes and 8 final table appearances in the World Poker Tour. Ivey now lives in Las Vegas with his wife, Luciaetta. When he’s not jetting around the world to play live poker events Ivey spends his time sat in front of a matrix of monitors, multi-tabling playing online poker.

So can Phil Ivey take down another WSOP event even with so few poker chips? If previous tournaments that Ivey has played in are anything to go by then even Darvin Moon should be immediately worried about the threat of Phil Ivey. Even though Ivey has less than a tenth of the chip leader’s stack he is a very experienced and intelligent poker professional who must always be considered a real danger.

25/05/2010 15:17:17

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