In one of the latest behemoth encounters between Swedish online poker player Isildur1 and 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine member Phil Ivey, the second largest pot in online poker history was created. This time, $1.1 million was up for grabs and, when the smoke cleared, Isildur1 claimed the bounty. It marked the latest in what has become an epic battle for high-stakes supremacy featuring the likes of Isildur1, Ivey, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Cole South, Patrik Antonius, and Ilari “Ziigmund” Sahamies.
In the $1.1 million Pot Limit Omaha pot on Full Tilt Poker, Ivey (pictured at right) was on the button and Isildur1 was dealt K
4 5
K
. Ivey raised to $3,000 pre-flop and Isildur1 made it $9,000. Ivey pushed the action to $27,000 and, this time, Isildur1 made the call. The flop came J
K J, giving Isildur1 a boat, but the action went check-check to the turn, which was the T. Isildur1 once again checked, Ivey bet $41,000, and Isildur1 put in a quick raise to $177,000. Ivey called behind to see the 5 hit the river, putting three of the suit on the board. Isildur1 bet pot, $408,000, with his full house and Ivey called for his remaining stack of $359,000. Ivey’s cards were not revealed at showdown and Isildur1 scooped $1.1 million.After dropping $1.3 million and $878,000 pots to Antonius, Isildur1 has mounted a comeback of sorts, claiming the rights to the second largest pot in online poker history, which occurred on Monday. According to PokerTableRatings.com, the Swede recorded a $1.4 million take on November 11th, his best day at the tables to date, while a -$2.1 million performance on Saturday marked his worst effort. His “career peak” took place on November 15th and totaled over $5 million.
Isildur1 has captured a large portion of his bankroll at the expense of Dwan, who remains his “best friend” with earnings of $4.5 million. The newcomer, meanwhile, has dropped $3.6 million and $3.0 million to Antonius and Ivey, respectively. Isildur1 has profited $452,000 at the expense of Haseeb “INTERNET POKERS” Qureshi, a CardRunners instructor who told PocketFives.com what makes Isildur1’s game top-tier in the industry: “He takes more intelligent and varied lines and knows how to mix up his play very well. He is good at making disciplined folds and thin value bets. He certainly trips up every now and again and makes the occasional spew play, but he's a very smart player and you can tell it in the way he structures his game.”
PokerTableRatings.com began tracking Isildur1, whose identity remains unknown, since September 16th. Since the beginning of November, according to the same tracking site, the eight largest pots in online poker history have occurred, with Isildur1 being involved in each of them. He’s claimed three, while Antonius (pictured at right) has taken down four and Ivey has scooped one. Here’s a look at the eight pots along with the dates they occurred:1. Patrik Antonius - $1,356,947 (November 21st)
2. Isildur1 - $1,127,955 (November 23rd)
3. Patrik Antonius - $878,959 (November 16th)
4. Phil Ivey - $832,940 (November 21st)
5. Isildur1 - $827,960 (November 21st)
6. Isildur1 - $815,975 (November 21st)
7. Patrik Antonius - $810,984 (November 21st)
8. Patrik Antonius - $783,985 (November 20th)
When asked if the heavy dose of high-stakes games on Full Tilt Poker was increasing the level of activity in other cash games on the site, Qureshi revealed, “Unfortunately, poker doesn't really work that way. It would be nice if Isildur1 were releasing poker pheromones throughout the internet, but the reality is that life goes along as normal. Maybe a few people are too busy railtarding to play other matches.”
Whether it was due to the 14th Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS), Isildur1, or some other factor, the daily peak number of real money ring game players on Full Tilt Poker has averaged 24,870 during the month of November according to PokerScout.com. In October, that figure was 22,308, representing a growth of 11%.The Isildur1 thread in Poker Discussion recently topped the 60-page mark, making it one of the most visited topics in PocketFives.com history. Stay tuned for the latest from the high-stakes world of Full Tilt Poker.
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