The online phenom known as “isildur1″, has been a major force in the online world since late 2009. Despite the online player participating in a large volume of mid to high stakes games on Full Tilt Poker, it wasn’t until his appearance in the realm of nosebleed cash games that this celebrity’s stardom took off. Playing the toughest professionals in the world at the highest stakes available online assisted in elevating isildur1′s recognition instantly. It wasn’t until a few months later, that his game soon became unbelievably dynamic.
He defeated the once undisputed prodigy of online poker, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, to the tune of nearly $5 million dollars.
After delivering such an incredible performance, against at the time, one of the top 10 premier heads-up No-Limit Hold’Em players in the world, the online railbirds were reeling. Despite losing all of it back (plus some), to several big poker names such as Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, and of course Cardrunners pro Brian Hastings, “isildur1″ is still widely considered one of the best heads-up No-Limit Hold’Em players on the planet.
Interestingly enough, despite his unprecedented success and popularity, the Swedish star has managed to suppress his anonymity for over a year. Although rumored to be the Swedish professional poker player Viktor Blom, over 12 months have passed by without a more credible lead to his true identity.
Nonetheless, through direct contact with “isildur1″, whether it’s been through conversation or table chat, Team PokerStars has managed to snag the most coveted online player in recent memory to their already storied list of legends. Isildur1 has joined the team of Vanessa Rousso, Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and many others in a lucrative sponsorship deal that should ink the unknown Swede plenty of cash and face time in the future of poker. This latest signing, we’re hoping, should inspire the infamous pro to play more live events, spur more incredible high stakes action, and finally reveal what nearly every online poker participant and viewer has been dying to know…
WHO IS Isildur1?
The site Pokerstars, in lieu of signing their latest member, has decided to issue a “Superstar Showdown” which will include playing at least 2,500 hands of heads-up No-Limit Hold’Em against Isildur1, with at least $50/$100 blinds. Very similar to Tom “durrrr” Dwan’s self-issued challenge on Full Tilt Poker, the Poker Stars challenge has scaled back dramatically in terms of scale, and is considerably shorter in length. The challenge should be guaranteed to incite tons of action for Poker Stars, Isildur1, and his many opponents who have been dying to get a piece of him since he’s made a huge surge in 2009. On December 19th, at approximately 6 p.m. EST on Poker Stars, the first challenge will take place. As of now, his first competitor has yet to be revealed.
Despite Isildur1′s busy schedule, the newly inked online poker star still would like to expand his horizons. Being a sponsored pro should open up many different options, so why not take advantage of them? In a recent interview, Isildur1 mentioned:
“I chose to join PokerStars because it’s the biggest site and it will be an exciting challenge. It means a great deal to be playing in a team alongside players such as Daniel Negreanu, Dario Minieri, and Johnny Lodden. My goals now are to improve my live game for some upcoming events, continue to focus on heads-up no-limit Hold’em, but also try to develop my pot-limit Omaha game.”
Daniel Negreanu also commented:
“It’s not every day that a player like Isildur1 comes along. If you look up the definition of the term ‘phenom’ you’ll see a picture of his face! When he is playing, the poker world takes notice. Hate to overuse the poker term ‘sick’ but Isildur’s no-limit Hold’em game is just that – sick! Few people step up to the plate against him, but the ones who have, universally have respect for his raw talent.”
This should undoubtedly prove to be a smart investment for both Isildur1 and Poker Stars. While both parties are sure to benefit from the business venture, it’s arguably us, the observers, who will receive the most excitement and entertainment from what should be months of incredible online play from the fearless Swede.
