Phil Ivey Thrives Opening Day of $100,000 Super High Roller at World Series of Poker

Phil Ivey is undoubtedly one of the stars of any tournament he plays, but at the World Series of Poker, Ivey is a walking legend. As Ivey makes another Day 2, we’ve found him everywhere at Bally’s and Paris as the newest WSOP location has brought Ivey back to the tables again and again. In the latest tournament he has taken on, Ivey has survived to yet another Day 2.

Ivey Sightings Throughout Vegas

Phil Ivey has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, so the mere sight of him in the cardroom can make even the stoniest of hearts melt. Just ask Allen ‘Chainsaw’ Kessler, who couldn’t help but take a snap of Ivey as he was sat next to commentator Norman Chad, who openly admits to idolising the man to his left.

Wow two legends reunited at my $10k stud 8 table.

It's beyond fairy tale, it's inconceivable!@NormanChad and @philivey pic.twitter.com/rSiN3sFhsV

— Allen Kessler (@AllenKessler) June 19, 2022

It doesn’t need fireworks in a hand for fans to want a photo of their hero when it’s Phil. He’s got that cool, brooding energy and even dragging in a pot is snapworthy.

A familiar sight: Phil Ivey dragging in a pot. pic.twitter.com/AecHWphHmp

— David Salituro (@DavidSalituro) June 16, 2022

When a bona fide poker legend is like a giddy schoolboy taking a selfie with his hero, you know it has to be Ivey.

Just like old times! Me and @philivey playing a little tripledraw! pic.twitter.com/tUeQa8eiZG

— Mike Matusow (@themouthmatusow) June 15, 2022

Everyone who approached Ivey was, little known to all of them, part of a documentary. Yes, it’s not just his fellow players or fans who are following him around, a film crew is.

Noticing this posted in the tournament areas pic.twitter.com/h41yN0dwpL

— Kevin Mathers (@Kevmath) June 13, 2022

Day 1 of Super High Roller Sees Ivey Make Top 10

The first day of the 42^nd event of this year’s WSOP saw Ivey survive one of the toughest Day 1 fields so far. Only 23 players made the cut from 52 total entries in the $100,000-entry Super High Roller event. Not one American player made the top four, with Japanese player Masashi Oya (2,765,000) ahead of Latvian Aleksejs Ponakovs (2,490,000), 2021 WSOP Main Event winner and German star Koray Aldemir (2,390,000) and British high roller regular Ben Heath (2,275,000).

A little further down the leaderboard, some truly great American players made their appearances. Jason Koon bagged 2,230,000 chips, while Dan Smith, who won his first-ever WSOP bracelet just a fortnight ago in the Heads Up Championship event, totalled 1,560,000.  Smith’s beaten finalist in that event, German player Christoph Vogelsang (1,450,000) and Ivey himself (1,410,000) survived to what will be a fascinating Day 2.

Ivey has won 10 WSOP bracelet, but his list of major honors doesn’t stop there. With over $36 million in tournament winnings and a WPT title, he’s an EPT Main Event win away from becoming the 10^th member of the triple crown club (WSOP, WPT and EPT wins). One more bracelet will put him clear in second place behind Phil Hellmuth in bracelet wins. For a man who’s shied away from the WSOP in recent years, that is astounding.

G.O.A.T. on Film

“He’s got a freaking sound guy; he’s got a camera guy. Look at him, mister Phil Ivey.”

Ivey is, in some ways, an odd character to film. Sure, he’s fascinating, captivating when playing a hand, but away from the felt, he seems a private man and that is interesting without being filmed. The 45-year-old American has always tried to avoid the spotlight where he can. Entering the Poker Hall of Fame upon turning 40 (the minimum age requirement) in 2017, he even flew that particular achievement under the radar.

As the documentary warning detailed,

“If you enter this area, you may appear, and you agree to appear, in this production, in any and all media now known or later devised, worldwide, in perpetuity, including advertisements and promotions”. The oddest thing might be that those words also apply to Ivey himself.

“You see him grinning, he knew I was coming,” joked Daniel Negreanu, YouTube star in his own right thanks to his World Series vlogs, announced Ivey’s film crew as they arrived. “Look, he comes with a whole crew of people. He’s got a freaking sound guy; he’s got a camera guy. Look at him, mister Phil Ivey. Who loves it more?”

Some opponents won’t stand in Ivey’s way, as Michael Addamo joined Jake Schindler, Chris Brewer and Andrew Lichtenberger in burning through two $100,000 bullets. Others such as Jeremy Ausmus, Erik Seidel, Dario Sammartino and Adrian Mateos will need to re-enter (and pay a second $100,000 buy-in) if they want to challenge Ivey et al in today’s Day 2. Registering would give them just 15 big blinds to start with, so not many re-entries look likely.