Viktor “Isildur1” Blom, PokerStars Part Ways
Aug 17, 2012 Poker News Poker Players
The poker world has lots to talk about PokerStars Pro Viktor “Isildur1” Blom. Viktor Blom, who is one of the most popular online poker players, is no longer a PokerStars pro now. The news was initially reported at PokerNews.com on Tuesday when some sources discovered that Blom’s name was out of the pro roster list on PokerStars.com.
Previously, Blom was an online poker legend. He became popular in 2009 when he was playing as an unknown under the Isildur1 screen name on Full Tilt Poker. He was giving a hard-hitting fight in the cash games against the likes of Phil Ivey, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, and Patrik Antonius. PokerTableRatings.com reveals that Isildur1 has been involved in the ten largest pots in online poker history and has won four of them for a combined $3.5 million.
Later in that year, Isildur1 lost over $4 million to CardRunners instructor Brian Hastings. Hastings said to ESPN that fellow instructor Brian Townsend “analyzed a database of heads-up hands that Isildur1 had played and constructed ranges of what Isildur1 was doing in certain spots.” Townsend provided that information to Hastings to help him in his battles against Blom. Full Tilt revealed this act of Townsend and tarnished his prestigious “red pro” status for a month.
Meanwhile, Isildur1 became a star and the main attraction on Full Tilt Poker. But he was still unknown. However, there were some rumors that Isildur1 was, in fact, Viktor Blom, but this remained just a rumor until January 2011, when PokerStars confirmed that Isildur1’s alter ego at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
No report has been released so far that reveals the reason for Blom’s split with PokerStars, but Eric Hollreiser, PokerStars’s head of corporate communications, informed PokerNews that the decision has been made with mutual consent. Blom, however, said, “I’ve enjoyed my time as a Team Pro and I wish everyone at PokerStars the best. Now I just want to concentrate on playing poker.”
There are speculations and rumors in the internet poker forums that Blom will sign with Full Tilt Poker once the beleaguered poker room returns from the dead. PokerStars settled on a deal with the U.S. government and Full Tilt on July 31st to purchase Full Tilt Poker and return all lost funds to its customers. PokerStars hass made its decision of re-opening Full Tilt later by November with almost strong and new management and staff. However, Full Tilt will remain a separate brand and will be running its own games and promotions. Blom held a high profile figure on Full Tilt pre-Black Friday, and was a natural fit as one of the new Full Tilt pros. As it is purely an internet speculation.
With some outstanding performances in this year, Blom has established himself as well-known poker pro. In January, Blom won the $100,000 Super High Roller event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and a 14th place in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship at the World Series of Poker. Earlier in the month of May, he surprised the poker world by winning two of the first three events in the PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP).
