This article is courtesy of 2CardsCollege Pro Poker Training. The Life Rules are the quotes from Phil Ivey’s past interviews, forum posts, videos, and room chats. We surfed the internet far and wide to get them. It’s like the story of his life told by himself over the years.

I would bluff my grandmother.

If it doesn’t involve gambling, I don’t do it.

People say I rarely let them see my personal side, but I don’t really think that’s true.

As you get older, you mature, things change in your life, and you change as a person, but I still love to play poker.

I started playing in pizzerias and people’s houses. Then all of a sudden you put it on TV and now people recognize me on the street. I’m just appreciative of any fan that I have. It’s nice to have fans, but it’s not really like I’m Tom Cruise.

I’m a very forgiving person.

In poker,either you have the money to buy in or you don’t. Either you can play or you can’t. Those are the only things that matter.

I never even thought there was any way I was not going to be a successful poker player. I didn’t think like that. That was never a thought that crossed my mind.

The game got to be as tough as possible.

I basically remember almost every hand I play. I don’t really need to go over hand histories. And I’m always thinking about hands and the way I played.

Before there was the internet and everything, I was playing poker live around the clock.

Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, Amarillo Slim – they learned with no information and were the best players at that time. They had to learn from trial and error. That’s pretty much how I learned, from trial and error.

I just wonder in my head sometimes how many of these guys that are here now would actually be here. Some of them would, but a lot of them wouldn’t. They wouldn’t be able to learn the game, figure it out on their own.

My best game is whatever game I’m playing. That’s the way I feel.

I know all the different games. Being able to play all the games and learn how to play all the games well is what defines you as a poker player, as an overall poker player.

I’m not a big future thinker. Moreover, when you play high-stakes poker, you can’t think about yesterday. Bring no baggage to the poker table; live in the moment.

I think a lot of people really don’t know how to play poker.

A range? What does that mean?

How can you make money like me? Just make sure you have the best hand when the river gets there.

You don’t even know how unlucky I get sometimes.

As a professional gambler, my job is to seek to lawfully reverse or reduce the perceived house edge. But it’s not in my nature to cheat and nor would I risk my reputation by acting unlawfully in any manner.

It’s all about winning. I don’t get any satisfaction from second place at all.

Every tournament I enter I’m trying to win. So, when I get knocked out, it’s definitely a disappointing feeling. It takes about 10-15 minutes to recover depending on the size of the tournament.

Sure, there are times I’m not thinking about poker. But most of the time I am thinking about poker.

I like to play. Anything that interrupts me I’m not too big a fan of.

I was young when I started playing and I had a fake ID. I don’t recommend that.

When you have to win if you want to eat, you play your ass off and go after every pot. If all of your money is on the table and you’re hungry, you figure out ways to win. It’s a different kind of motivation.

I didn’t sleep under the bridge, but I slept on the boardwalk. Maybe twice.

The smell of the gas fumes on the bus is unforgettable. That’s why I’ll never ride a bus again. I’d rather take my private jet.

You buy a $100,000 car and it makes you happy for three days. I bought plenty of cool wrist-watches – Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet – but they did absolutely nothing for me.

Remember the robbers interrupting the big game in Aviation Club in Paris? $800/$1,600 Limit Hold’em, some nice side bets… And suddenly we are under the table: me, Barry, Erick Lindgren. And I was like, “Who else wants to double up bets in this hand?”

When a good-looking brunette strolls by fresh from shopping, I say, “I’m a part-time bellhop. I can help you with your bags.” Not the worst pickup line in the world?

The a-ha moment comes when you sit down to play against a player who others think is great. He’s been doing it for a long time and has won a lot of money. Suddenly you realize you can play with that person. Then you see yourself beating that person. It happens and you recognize that you can do well at poker.

I’m just sitting here, playing the same game you are.

Why do they always call me terrifying? I played a big pot with Daniel Negreanu a long time ago. “Dude, what are you looking at? You’re scaring me,” he said.

I never realized I did that with my eyes until Daniel showed me some TV clips.

I had a plenty of epic nights in my life.

$20 million for getting a desk job for a year? I wouldn’t do it for $100 million. I like my life too much.

Don’t stay behind me when I’m playing baccarat.

I hate mayo so much.