Biography<\/strong><\/h2>\nViktor Blom was born in Sweden in 1990. He started playing poker at the age of 14 with his friends, and as soon as he turned 18, he began playing poker online. Blom\u2019s early success in online poker led him to relocate to London at the age of 21, largely due to Sweden’s taxing system, which took a significant portion of online poker players\u2019 winnings.<\/span><\/p>\nWhile Blom made a name for himself in online poker, he also has a few live tournament cashes. His most notable achievement came in 2012 when he won the $100,000 Super High Roller title at the <\/span>PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), a part of the European Poker Tour (EPT), earning a significant payout of $1.25 million.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Emergence of Isildur1<\/strong><\/h2>\nViktor Blom’s story as <\/span>Isildur1<\/b> begins in 2009 when he appeared seemingly out of nowhere on the <\/span>Full Tilt Poker high-stakes tables. His arrival marked a dramatic shift in the online poker scene. At the time, only a small group of regulars played at the $200\/$400 or higher stakes. But Blom, who had never been seen before at lower limits, jumped straight into the lion’s den, clashing with the best players of the era.<\/span><\/p>\nHis nickname, Isildur1, was coined by the community, and it was soon associated with high-intensity, hyper-aggressive poker. Players couldn\u2019t figure out whether he was a genius or a maniac, and this uncertainty only fueled the mystery around him.<\/span><\/p>\nPhil Galfond, one of the top players of the time, recalls a memorable session in 2009 when he faced Blom at the $200\/$400 Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) tables. At first, Galfond was skeptical, thinking Blom would go bankrupt quickly due to his wild play. However, to everyone’s surprise, Blom not only survived but won millions from the top players, including Galfond, <\/span>Tom Dwan, <\/span>Phil Ivey, and <\/span>Patrik Antonius.<\/span><\/p>\nAs Galfond explains, “Viktor was not a mindless maniac; in fact, he was a very smart player.” His style was unpredictable, and he often pushed his opponents to their emotional limits. “Playing with such an opponent is very interesting, but also scary,” Galfond says. “With Isildur, you can win a huge pot at any time.”<\/span><\/p>\n