Meet Phil Ivey, the Top Poker Player in the World

If you're looking for Poker's version of Tiger Woods (last year's Tiger, of course), his name would be Phil Ivey. Ivey, a black man in a sport without many prominent black faces, has become the most dominant poker player on earth. He intimidates the field like Tiger (well, before the sex scandal). He has Tiger-like intensity in his eyes and even looks a little like Tiger.

Ivey has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, which is only two less than the most ever won by any player. He tied the record for the most bracelets won during a one-year period, winning three of them in 2002. He is also the all-time leader in earnings from tournament poker. The fact that he is only 34-years-old makes his achievements that much more phenomenal.

Ivey learned to play poker at the age of three. Since he was a teenager, he's always wanted to be a professional poker player. At the age of 18, Phil Ivey started playing poker in Atlantic City with a fake ID. He then became a master at many variants of the game, which helped him to become the man many consider to be the most well-rounded poker player around.

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George Foreman Professional Profile

Street Fighter Turned Olympian
The Marshall, Texas, native was raised as a street fighter, but by the age of 19 he cleaned up his act and won a gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. Next, he would amass an unheard of amateur record of 27-0. He turned professional the following year.

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George Foreman Professional Profile

Black Voices takes a look at the professional career of George Foreman, considered by many one of the greatest boxers of all time. The Olympian's skill helped him stage successful comebacks into the twilight of his fighting career. Foreman's smile and nice-guy demeanor eventually launched as one of the most recognized product pitchmen in the game. Foreman's also a preacher, a philanthropist and an entrepreneur. Recently, the father of 10 opened his family life for a reality TV show called "Family Foreman."

George Foreman Professional Profile

"Rumble in the Jungle"
Perhaps one of the most famous boxing match of all time, Muhammad Ali vs. Foreman would go down in history as "The Rumble in The Jungle." The heavyweight bout went down in 1974, in an unlikely venue - a stadium in Congo, Africa. It was Don King's first gig as a boxing promoter. In the eighth round, Ali landed a knockout blow that sent Foreman flying across the ring. A punch that cemented Ali as the Greatest of All Time.

George Foreman Professional Profile

Foreman's Faith
Foreman is an ordained minister and he started his ministry after a religious experience that took place in his dressing room after losing to Jimmy Young in 1977. The experience marked his first retirement from the sport. He still spreads the gospel today in Houston at the Church of Lord Jesus Christ. He says his favorite scripture is Psalms 1.

George Foreman Professional Profile

Foreman Comebacks
Foreman first retired from boxing in 1977 to become a preacher. On the verge of bankruptcy a decade later, overweight and 38, Foreman returned to the ring to fight a few more times before he retired again. A few years later, Foreman skipped retirement again and became the oldest man in history to re-capture the Heavyweight crown on Nov. 5, 1994, knocking out Michael Moorer.

George Foreman Professional Profile

Boxing Commentator
In 2003, George Foreman decided to hang up his headset and leave HBO after twelve years of boxing commentating for the network. In the beginning, fans forgave the fact that Foreman was not exactly well suited for the announcing job, but leading up to his departure, Foreman was criticized hard and often, for his sloppy analysis.

George Foreman Professional Profile

Foreman Books
Foreman has published four books and countless cookbooks. His most recent book is a spiritual memoir called "God In My Corner." His 1995 autobiography, "By George,' was well received and he also authored a children's book called "Let George Do It."

George Foreman Professional Profile

The Foreman Grill
In 1994 the boxing champ introduced the George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine. The Foreman Grill quickly became a must-have appliance and can be found in more than 100 million homes. In 1999, Foreman sold the naming rights to the grill's manufacturer for $137.5 million.

George Foreman Professional Profile

Endorsements Galore
"I love selling," Foreman says "People trust me. I sell sincerity." KFC, Doritos Chips, The Foreman Grill, Meineke and McDonald's, Casual Male Big & Tall clothing and HBO were among his first endorsement credits.

George Foreman Professional Profile

George Foreman Enterprises
Today, According to The New York Times, George Foreman Enterprises has most recently endorsed his new shake (George Foreman's Life-Shake) a shoe line (InStride), UFood Grill, a health-food restaurant chain and a British line of frozen meats. Next on the list are George Foreman vitamins.

George Foreman Professional Profile

Howard Lederer, one of the leading figures in the poker world, says that Phil Ivey has a chance to become the greatest poker player in history. Other opponents admire Ivey's intelligence. Nearly all of his opponents fear him.

Poker participation has grown dramatically since 2003, when Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker after starting off by qualifying on the Internet. Since that time, millions of Americans have joined the poker revolution, using the Internet as their portal for communication. The Web has dramatically changed how players come to develop their expertise. Instead of spending hours traveling around the country to smoke-filled poker rooms, players can now become poker experts quickly by signing onto websites that host thousands of players at any given time, day or night. There's no longer any waiting to find a good tournament. You can simply log in and find a tournament that's been created by someone across the world whom you've never met.

In the face of finding new ways to create revenues, Congress is reconsidering its ban of online gambling. There are many who argue that poker is a game of skill rather than luck, and that it should have its own exemption. Many argue that banning online gambling only sent the companies and potential revenue overseas, thus creating an unregulated black market that has scammed a large number of Americans. The Treasury Department would regulate the industry, while the IRS would have the ability to tax it. Congress expects that changing the law would generate $42 billion in tax revenues over the next 10 years.

Whether poker becomes legal or not, Phil Ivey is set to dominate the "sport" for years. I was concerned to read that part of the reason Ivey plays so well is because he has "a complete disregard for money." This leads to him producing both massive gains and incredible losses to the tune of several million dollars. But thus far, he has become one of the leading faces of poker, and one of the few black poker faces you're sure to see on TV.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here.