Phil Ivey Crushes Monte Carlo

Phil Ivey is all smiles after taking down the Monte Carlo Millions crown.

In one of the most impressive poker achievements of 2005, Phil Ivey went to Monte Carlo, Monaco, for Thanksgiving week and left $1.6 million richer by winning two tournaments in two days.



First, he won $1 million in the Monte Carlo Millions, in which 112 players each put up $25,000. The tournament was filled mostly with invitees, which meant the field was packed with numerous World Series of Poker bracelet winners and World Poker Tour champs.



A short list of participants included Erik Seidel, Howard Lederer, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, Gus Hansen, Phil Hellmuth, Scott Fischman, and Kathy Liebert. Ivey seemingly breezed to the final table, amassing a staggering $2,317,000 in chips. His closest competitor, Richard Herbert, held $908,000. He swept the tournament away when his K Q held up against Paul Jackson's Q J.

Monte Carlo Millions final-table action

John Juanda took sixth in the Monte Carlo Millions, even though he was knocked out of the tournament the day before in 41st place. He made it to the final table by winning a second-chance tournament, Monte Carlo Gold, right before the final table began. He started the final table with only $160,000, but still managed a payday of $100,000.



The next day, which happened to be Thanksgiving here in the United States, Ivey sat down with an all-star cast of poker champs at the FullTiltPoker.net Invitational Live From Monaco event. He rejoined fellow FullTilt team member Ferguson, as well as world-class pros Hellmuth, Hansen, Dave Ulliott, Matusow, and Juanda, to play a high-stakes poker tournament in front of the world.



According to Fox Sports, which provided a live feed of the tournament, 120 million viewers in 13 countries watched the players sit down in the high-stakes room at the Casino de Monte Carlo, dressed to the nines in suits and tuxedos. The players looked so classy and cool that people tuning in late to the contest may have thought they had stumbled across an old James Bond flick.



The single-table tournament started at midnight Monte Carlo time, so that it could be broadcast at 6 p.m. EST in the United States on Fox Sports. The buy-in for the tournament was $120,000. FullTiltPoker.net kicked in an extra $160,000 to the purse to make it an even $1 million. The top three players would get paid $600,000, $280,000, and $120,000, respectively.



While Ulliott bullied his way into an impressive chip lead early, he wasn't able to do better than win his buy-in back in third place. Juanda, capping an impressive two days himself, took second.



Except for Joseph Hachem and Steve Dannenmann, who finished first and second, respectively, in this year's WSOP main event and won $7.5 million and $4.25 million, Ivey's won more money playing tournament poker than anyone else this year. Counting the $1.6 million he took home over the Thanksgiving holiday in Monte Carlo, he has won $3.3 million in tournaments in 2005.

Monte Carlo Gold – John Juanda made the Millions final table by winning the Gold event.