Speedyfold Poker Blog

February isnt even over yet and the race for the first player to reach Supernova Elite in 2011 on Pokerstars is well and truely on. Several players are up around 700,000 VPPs, with 1 million VPPs being the target to get the coveted stauts.

One person in the running, Isildur1 has been playing long sessions of heads-up 25/50 and also Heads-up $5600 SNGs. However despite this volume he is nonchalent or previously oblivious to the SNE race. Pretty sick to be one of the main contenders without really trying for it or not particularly caring. This is highlighted best by the following conversation at the table where azntracker is talking about given up on the race if Isildur1 plans to keep playing the volume he’s playing.

azntracker: Hey isildur, i was just wondering what your intentions are for VPPs
azntracker: Right now it’s me and you #1/#2
Isildur1: What
Isildur1: u mean 1 and 2
Isildur1: i got no intentions
azntracker: ah cool
Isildur1: why?
azntracker: ah, well ive been playing a ton to try get 1mm as soon as i can
Isildur1: how much u got now
azntracker: but your 5k HU will kill me if you keep going
azntracker: i got 623k now, u?
Isildur1: ok
Isildur1: little less than you i think
Isildur1: is there any prize?
azntracker: are you going to be grinding these as much as you have been?
azntracker: no prize
Isildur1: k, no idea
azntracker: if so, i’m gonna stop playing as much as i have been, save me misery haha
Isildur1: u play sng to?
Isildur1: lol
azntracker: yes, but i gotta play 30-40 table all high stakes
Isildur1: right now im playing pretty much
Isildur1: kk
azntracker: by the way, we played at the same PCA table, u busted med day 2 with QQ vs my ATs
azntracker: i had KK two times i 3bet you previously but u folded
Isildur1: ok:/
azntracker: yea you are playing sooo much now
azntracker: are you going to continue playing so much everyday, next week or 2?
Isildur1: yeah mb
Isildur1: what does it matter for u
azntracker: oh well i’d just like to know if i should keep killing myself to get 1mm vpp first
Isildur1: ok, i dont know sry
Isildur1: ilprolly play pretty much
azntracker: it’s just a personal goal of mine to get 1mm first, that’s all
Isildur1: ok well sry i plat theese 5k so much
Isildur1: gonna get some food
Isildur1: glgl
azntracker: good luck!

The mysterious Swedish player Isidur1 has joined Pokerstars as one of their official online pros. Isildur1 (widely thought to be Viktor Blom) first came to the world’s attention at the high stakes tables on Full Tilt. In some extreme Heads-up multi-tablling he took on all comers at all stakes. He managed to take $4 million of Tom Dwan’s money in the process, but then ended up losing that to Brian Hastings. A few short-lived comebacks never really fully materialised but with the intense coverage the online sensation received Pokerstars saw him no doubt as a great marketing opporunity. There are Superstar Showdown Challenges planned, and expect to see Isildur as a regular fixture at the high stakes tables on Pokerstars very soon.

The mysterious Isildur1 on Full Tilt has been revealed as retired Swedish ice hockey pro Mats Sundin. He played 11 seasons with the Torono Maple Leafs, the majority of them as team captain.

Since his retirement in Sept 2009 he has been playing a huge amount of online poker player with a view to it being a career post-hockey. Ironically he has already done endorsement work for Full Tilt’s bitter rivals Pokerstars in 2008, although that deal was only a temporary one whilst he was still a NHL player.

For a long time Viktor Blom was widely suspected as Isidur1 but always denied it. Sundin is perhaps a surprise to some but things do add up easy in retrospect. Ex-sportsmen like Benamine and Antonius often look for a new competitive persuit post-retirement. And with Sundin having very substantial amounts of cash and assets and a heavily competitive spirit, poker really fits the bill. At age 39 he is still relateively young in sense of careers vs retirement. With a bit more discipline he could quite easily turn his talents into long term success on the green felt.

Mats Sundin will be playing in the Party Poker Big Game in mid April following his friendly relationship and backing relationship with Tony G (who is heavily involved as a Party Poker Pro)