Lengthy earlier than Phil Ivey was considered one of many best poker gamers of all time, his mother knew he was gifted. Pamela Ivey realized this 25 years in the past when her son received a $500 buy-in occasion on the First Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open in Mississippi for $53,297 — greater than her yearly wage working in insurance coverage.
The April 2000 occasion was 23-year-old Ivey’s second-ever Hendon Mob end result and featured a ultimate desk that included 1983 WSOP Predominant Occasion runner-up Rod Peate and eventual 2021 WSOP Participant of the Yr Josh Arieh. He received his first WSOP bracelet only a month later and shortly after turned the poker icon he is referred to as right this moment.
“I did not suppose it was a good suggestion for him to play poker,” Pamela Ivey advised PokerNews in an interview, “however when he received fifty-something thousand {dollars}, and on the time I believe I used to be making near 50, and I am like, wow, he did that in a single recreation? And it takes me the entire yr? I assumed, possibly it is okay.”
Phil Ivey & Household Headline CSOP Awards
Elevating Poker Greatness
In his 2019 Masterclass, Phil revealed that he first realized poker from his grandfather, who cheated him in five-card Stud with hopes that younger Ivey would lose curiosity in poker. However Pamela, who spoke to PokerNews throughout a Feb. 12 Charity Sequence of Poker (CSOP) occasion in Las Vegas, stated her son acquired his poker skills from one other member of the family.
“We come from a pushed household, mainly.”
“My dad did not actually play, however he knew tips on how to play,” she stated. “My dad was a police commissioner, and he did a whole lot of (issues). He owned his personal enterprise. He did not play poker. He did not gamble. My uncle was the gambler, my dad’s brother.”
“In all probability it was, like, inherited (by) him. My uncle by no means advised Phil about taking part in poker.”
Phil’s sister, Cheyanne, is profitable in one other realm. The College of Miami College of Legislation graduate operates the Las Vegas-based consulting agency Ivey Options, a brand new presenting sponsor of the CSOP.
Did the Ivey youngsters get their aggressive drive from Mother?
“Effectively, I’m very pushed they usually simply, I do not know. I do not know the place they acquired it. We come from a pushed household, mainly. Each time we need to do one thing, we simply go at it 100%.”
Mother Performs Completely different Stakes
Phil usually performs high-stakes poker tournaments world wide that value six or seven figures to enter. Simply as usually, Pamela performs in a girls’s group recreation in Las Vegas for a fraction of the price.
“I am very, very frugal. My youngsters name me low cost, however I am simply frugal.”
“But it surely’s solely a $10 buy-in,” Pamela stated. “We’re not high-stakes.”
To place the stakes in perspective, Pamela must win 100,000 buy-ins to place up the $1 million her son used to fireside two bullets into December 2024’s WSOP Paradise Triton Million.
“I am very, very frugal. My youngsters name me low cost, however I am simply frugal.”
In final week’s CSOP occasion, Pamela performed alongside Joey Ingram, one of many few content material creators who has interviewed the reclusive Ivey. However Pamela stated poker followers should not let her son’s quiet and chilly demeanor idiot them.
“He is superb to his mom,” she stated.
So good to his mom that he gifted her a $1 million apartment.
Connor Richards
Editor & Dwell Reporter U.S.
