Phil Ivey’s Greatest Hands: A Masterclass in Poker Strategy

Phil Ivey is a global phenomenon, and we’ve found five classic hands that demonstrate his incredible talent at the poker table. Over many years, Phil Ivey has become the player to beat and is consistently referred to as the ‘Greatest of All-Time’ or ‘GOAT’. Fearless bluffing, ultimate table control, and that poker staredown. Phil Ivey has got it all.

1. Ivey Pokes the Poker Brat

Over the years, Phil Ivey has clashed with a number of players on multiple occasions. One of those frenemies is Phil ‘The Poker Brat’ Hellmuth. While the latter has the edge in WSOP bracelets – holding 17 to Ivey’s 11 – Ivey has always seemed to have an advantage over his fellow luminary in gameplay.

In this hand, we see Ivey flop a straight as Hellmuth flops a top set. The action is not shy, with Ivey betting $8,000 on the flop, which Hellmuth calls. A turn of a deuce is no bother to the Poker Brat or Ivey and soon, Ivey pops in $23,000 more. Hellmuth raises all-in, and Ivey snaps him off.

“I gotta do some reverse insurance here.” Hellmuth says and loses when a three lands on the river.

“Unbelievable!” he snaps. “I waited all day and flopped top set and he’s got six-eight.”

Phil Ivey’s ability to get Hellmuth to put all of his money into the middle is legendary and Ivey, often so aggressive in his actions at the felt, feigns a loose image brilliantly in this clip, gradually relaxing his body stance, provoking Hellmuth into taking decisive action. This in turn protects Ivey from Hellmuth being able to float along to the river in the hope that the board pairs.

2. Hero Fold Frustrates Tony G

This time, Ivey is being spoken of as the ‘healthiest he’s been in a long time’ as the hand begins. Dealt king-jack of hearts, the flop of K-7-6 with one heart looks good, and he bets $75,000, which is called only by Tony G with a set of sixes hiding in the shadows. But you don’t hide from Ivey for long. Ivey makes two pair on the turn of an offsuit jack, and when the American bets $300,000, Tony G moves all-in for 3.3 million chips.

Ivey now has a horrible decision to make, and he takes some time to figure it out. But it is Ivey’s attitude towards studying Tony G that gets him there. Some players might look away, or feel bad for staring at their opponent with such intensity. Not Ivey. He’s all-in on Tony’s face, his body language, and you can almost hear the supercomputer brain inside Ivey’s head processing the information.

The fold, when it comes, is brilliant.

3. Ivey Silences ‘The Mouth’

Any pot against Mike ‘The Mouth’ Matusow is going to be full of action in the form of table talk. Ivey, however, manages to make ‘mighty-mouth’ Mike look more like ‘Meek’ Matusow as he bullies him into submission in silence.

Phil finds a way to push Matusow off the second nut flush on a paired board with an offsuit ace-four after a stunning check-raise on the river of a board where Matusow’s pocket kings eventually make a four-flush on the river. Matusow is confused and eventually lets it go, while Ivey folds away his cards, claiming ‘I had the ace’ almost by way of consoling his opponent. Ivey did have the ace… but not in the suit that made the flush.

“What did you have, the queen or whatever?” Ivey quips, and Matusow looks like a pet that has just been smacked on the nose.

4. Andrew Feldman is Caged

“Phil Ivey shows him how it’s done.”

Anyone thinking that they can use chips or their own self-perceived power at the felt to intimidate Phil Ivey should reconsider their options after they watch this hand as evidence to the contrary. Phil Ivey is tangling with the lesser-known British player Andrew Feldman, who briefly rose to notoriety in the Full Tilt era only to fade into obscurity thereafter.

Holding the dominating king-queen to Ivey’s queen-four, Feldman is actually miles ahead of his opponent but after a flop of T-5-5 when neither man hits, Ivey’s bet is raised by Feldman and then re-raised by Ivey.

That bet puts incredible pressure on Feldman. When an eight lands, Ivey bets $27,000 into a pot of $72,700, and Feldman crumbles, folding his superior hand and learning a brutal lesson.

“Welcome to the big leagues buddy, you’re playing with the big boys now. Phil Ivey shows him how it’s done.”

5. Getting Value with Quad Aces

Phil Ivey hasn’t played too many hands against Sam Greenwood, but this one was a stone-cold classic. A dramatic board of A-Q-8-A-J in short deck saw Ivey, holding two red aces, turn quad aces—one of only two hands to beat Greenwood’s nut flush with king-eight of clubs in his hand and three more clubs on the board, including the ace.

Only ten-nine of clubs or two red aces could have Greenwood beaten. As commentator Jeff Gross quipped, “Sam is thinking about Vegas and The Mirage” in reference to the 1998 poker movie Rounders, starring Matt Damon and Ed Norton.

Ivey shoved the river, Greenwood called… and Ivey turned over quads. The really stunning thing about the hand is that play was three-handed in the tournament, meaning the chances of two such huge hands playing out were almost nil.

Phil Ivey’s too good

Phil Ivey’s poker brilliance is nothing short of legendary, and these hands are just a glimpse of his unmatched skill at the felt. From masterful bluffs to impeccable reads, Ivey continues to inspire and awe poker enthusiasts worldwide. If you enjoyed this breakdown of Phil Ivey’s greatest hands, be sure to explore more of our blogs for insights into poker strategy, tips from the pros, and deep dives into the most iconic moments in poker history.