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Today in the 3-Bet we pay tribute to poker wunderkind Viktor “Isildur1” Blom as he moves away from online poker sponsorship and into the next chapter of his poker-soul-crushing career.
1) Big Hair, Big Bluffs, Big Mystery, Biggest Pot Ever
As we said earlier in the week, the parting of ways between PokerStars and Viktor “Isildur1” Blom sounds a lot more dramatic than it actually is.
Our take: Blom and Stars used his rise to fame for mutual benefit and now Viktor is moving on and away from the spotlight/obligations.
We’ll still see him at the nosebleeds online, still see him in live high-roller events and we won’t have to humor any more stilted interviews or SuperStar Showdowns.
That being said, it was a ridiculously fun ride from high-stakes mystery man to $4.2 million loser to sponsored superhero to live high-roller crusher and it left us with several memorable moments.
Shortly after Isildur appeared on Full Tilt Poker in Sept. 2009, he went on a heater for the ages. By November he had worked his bankroll up to a few million before crushing Tom "durrrrr" Dwan heads-up in numerous sessions for a stunning $5 million.
Here's a glimpse of his epic bankroll-building durrrr sessions, his record-breaking pot with Patrik Antonius and some of his biggest heads-up hands ever:
2) Big Sessions, Big Bankroll, Massive Loss, Big Questions
In December 2009, the biggest twist in the Blom saga materialized.
In less than five hours against Brian Hastings, Isildur was crushed for $4.2 million. Hastings literally owned him every step of the way and walked away with the biggest single-session score ever.
Upon review, it was discovered Hastings and fellow CardRunners instructors Brian Townsend and Cole South, who Isildur had played frequently over the past few months, had shared hand histories and developed a strategy to beat him.
Townsend was suspended from being a Full Tilt pro for 30 days but Hastings was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Interestingly, Isildur later returned to play Hastings in March 2010. He gained a measure of revenge, winning $550k in the first session, before losing another $1.5 million in the next.
By January 2011, Isildur1 had revealed his identity as Viktor Blom and signed on with PokerStars.
Here's Hastings' take on the situation in an interview with CardPlayerTV and some highlights from the March sessions:
3) What Tribute Would Be Complete Without a Weird Song?
We'll let this one speak for itself:
Bonus 4-Bet: Still One of Our Favorite Bustouts
Before Isildur1 was Isildur1, Viktor Blom was just Viktor Blom. An aggressive 18-year-old Swede with big hair who got his money in on bad bluffs occasionally.
No tribute to Blom would be complete without this gem of a bustout. Especially thanks to Antonio Esfandiari and Todd Brunson at the table.
Have a favorite Isildur1 moment? Let us know in the comments.
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