PokerStars newest Team Pro, Isildur1, whose real life identity remains unknown, just completed his first Superstar Showdown Heads Up Challenge, versus Isaac PhilIvey2694 Haxton. Haxton came out on top, winning $41,700 over their 2500 hand encounter. The rules going in were simple, two men, 2500 hands at $50/$100 NLHE, with each player bringing a $150,000 bankroll to the tables. Haxton came out victorious.
It was a back and forth battle all the way. Each heads up table was set up so that after 625 hands it would automatically close and a new table would open. Railbirds got to see 100 big blind stacks getting shipped back and forth like a hot potato.
One of the deciding factors in the match was Haxton’s unorthodox strategy of minraising his button to $200 almost every single hand preflop. This miniraising rope-a-dope move put Haxton on the defensive against the notoriously aggressive Isildur1, but seemed to play well into his overall strategy.
In one of the final deciding hands of the challenge, with both players 200 big blinds deep, $20,000 stacks, Haxton raised his button to $200 with Kh 9h. Isildur1 reraised to $1000 with Jh 9c and Haxton called. The board came down 5h 9d 3d 2c 2h with Isildur1 betting each street into Haxton who called in position with top pair all the way, including a $16,000 river bet to take the $44K pot.
After the match Isildur1 was not happy, “I want to play this guy again, because I didn’t feel he was so good.” “I dont think he deserved to win.” “He ran too good and I want a re-match in a game for 5,000 hands,” he insisted. “I would beat him easily. I am certain.” It is unknown whether a rematch will happen, or who the next challenger will be in Isildur1’s Superstar Showdown.
No online poker player in the world has been as unpredictable and exciting as Isildur1. Three years ago, coming out of seemingly nowhere, Isildur went on a $7 million heater, only to go on one of the largest online poker downswings ever, losing it all back, including over $4 million to Brian Hastings. In the process, Isildur1 earned the respect and intrigue of the poker community for his hyper aggressive play and willingness to fearlessly challenge the world’s best players.
Isildur1 is the closest thing the poker world has to a tortured super hero. Undeniably one of the world’s best poker players, his massive monkey tilt and lack of game selection ensure an endless cast of villains plotting to take his loot and break his bankroll once and for all.
Isildur1’s first month as a member of PokerStars Team Pro has been just what you’d expect, tumultuous. After much publicity, Isildur1 started hot winning a huge first session of $287,500. Soon after though, Isildur1, lost over $300,000 playing Phil Galfond heads up pot-limit omaha, and now after a slew of mediocre losing sessions and a loss to Haxton, Isildur1 is in the negative for the month.
What will be the next chapter in the Isildur1 story? Will he reveal his real life identity at a PokerStars event? Is his training complete and will 2011 be the year of Isildur1’s high stakes dominance and ascent to the throne? Or will Isildur1’s demons be too much? Are we watching the greatest busto degenerate poker player of all time? Well on behalf of all the Isildur1 railtards, I’d like to say, heater one time!