Despite almost completely draining his multi-million dollar bankroll, the whirlwind of news surrounding Isildur1 refuses to go away. The mystery Swedish player lit up the high-stakes scene in late 2009, engaging in numerous simultaneous nosebleed cash games against the likes of Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, and Patrik Antonius. Thousands of gleeful railbirds flocked to Full Tilt Poker to watch, as Isildur1 returned night after night to contest record breaking pots.
From September to December his bankroll fluctuated wildly, at one point hitting profits of around $5 million, before plummeting down into the red. Cardrunners instructor and Full Tilt pro Brian Hastings took $4 million from Isildur in one session, effectively cleaning him out and forcing him to abandon the high-stakes tables he had made his own. It seemed like that might be the end of the Isildur legacy, but word soon leaked out that Hastings had spent time discussing hands from previous Isildur cash games with fellow Cardrunners Brian Townsend and Cole South. Townsend had collected together thousands of hands in a process known as data-mining. This contravened Full Tilt’s terms of use and resulted in a one-month suspension of Townsend’s Red Pro status.
Despite Isildur1 demanding compensation, it seemed like Hastings and his teammates might have put an end to his tenure as the world’s most exciting player. However, well known poker pro and businessman Tony G has hinted that he may be willing to stake the unknown Swedish player back into the high stakes games. “I wish I had as much talent as he does,” Tony claimed on his blog, before going on to state that, “It is likely I will stake him in some big cash games in the future.”
Tony has reportedly had numerous phone conversations with the young player, wistfully reporting that, “he is like me 15 years ago.” He also confirmed the rumor that Isildur learned Pot Limit Omaha only 8 months before taking on the best in the world at their own game. Tony had previously claimed on his blog that Isildur1 was another screen name for Viktor Blom, known elsewhere as “blom30”. Viktor has since openly denied this, but is still the most popular choice for forum posters and poker fans attempting to unmask the Swedish mystery man. For his part, Tony G is now backtracking from his original assertion, claiming that, “earlier I was guessing.” Whereas now, “I know who he is, no doubt,” although, “I will never reveal who he is.”
Whether or not Isildur is Viktor, it seems likely that Tony G does know his true identity. Swedish tax laws are infamously harsh on poker profits and many of the country’s pros choose to remain anonymous in the hope of avoiding a strict levy on their winnings. Not that Isildur1 need worry about that currently, having shipped around $2.6 million to the cadre of pros he faced on Full Tilt. Tony G himself has benefited to the tune of around $100,000.
Tony is well known for his loud and acerbic attitude at the table, but he does have a track record of staking up and coming players. He claims to have put 20 people into the 2009 WSOP Main Event and is heavily involved with the staking site ChipMeUp. The Lithuanian born Australian is the founder and owner of PokerNews.com, so he should be able to find the cash to put Isildur1 back in the game. Be it through Tony or some other means, Isildur seems committed to taking another shot at the highest level. In a recent interview with PokerNews he categorically stated, “I still have a bankroll and will be back.”