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All these descriptions fit. Especially the latter, given that over the past three years, Phil Ivey (yes, we are talking about him) persistently refused of any interviews. But what was impossible for the others, could do Nolan Dalla, WSOP Media Director. We still do not know, how he lured Phil, but the fact is there. Phil Ivey agreed to give a first interview in three years. Here are some quotes :


Ivey spoke willingly with Dalla about his success — or lack thereof — during the 2012 WSOP. The 36-year-old made an astounding five final tables in 13 days last month, but fell short of a bracelet each time. But, despite that Ivey has always been a fierce competitor. A high roller by nature, Ivey told Dalla that he's gunning for the win in every tournament he enters regardless of buy-in: "When I sit down, I’m trying to win and when I don’t, I’m disappointed. It’s just the way I am", adding: “I don’t get any satisfaction from second place at all.”


Ivey has a stable of pros he roots for, including Jennifer Harman, fellow high-stakes cash gamer Patrik Antonius, and PokerStars pro Barry Greenstein. He also believes he can get to 30 – yes, 30 – WSOP bracelets during his lifetime, 22 more than he currently owns: "If the World Series of Poker is still here, and I’m still alive, I think I will have 30 bracelets. That’s what I believe."

 
When asked about Phil Hellmuth winning bracelet No. 12, Ivey responded: "I congratulated him. I was really impressed. He’s been playing very well this year. ... Now, I have four more bracelets to go to catch him."

 
Ivey also admitted that is making tons of mistakes at the poker table: “There are hands that come up that you could have bet different amounts. You could have re-raised where you didn’t. You could have checked where you should have bet. There are tons of mistakes every session, even for me. What separates me from a lot of the other players is that I recognize the mistakes, when I make them. A lot of other players don’t recognize when they make mistakes and I think that’s important for improving your game”.

 
Although he's not media-friendly, Ivey said he appreciates all of his fans: "I’m just appreciative of any fan that I have. When I get stopped, I try to be friendly and giving of my time to meet fans. However, when Dalla said that he had seen Doyle Brunson surrounded by dozens of fans, Ivey responded: “It’s only like that here at the World Series of Poker. If I’m in a mall, if I’m walking down the street, I never really get that. People that play poker, they recognize me and they say, ‘Hey, how you doing?’ I get it somewhat, but it’s not really like I’m Tom Cruise”.


Dalla's interview with Ivey is a must-read for any poker fan. Check its full version here:
http://www.wsop.com/news/2012/Jul/3929/IVEY-LEAGUE-A-ONE-ON-ONE-INTERVIEW-WITH-THE-WORLDS-BEST-POKER-PLAYER-PHIL-IVEY.html

Source WSOP.com