Isildur1 to Unmask Himself......Possibly!

The online poker phenomenon Isildur1 has agreed to be unmasked forever when he signed up to play in the PartyPoker Big Game IV live cash game. Instantly becoming the number one reason to tune in to find out who this guy really is, although it is widely accepted that although Viktor Blom cryptically said “I am not the one you seek…” in an Internet poker forum a few months ago he is indeed the human incarnation of Isildur1. Regardless of whether you believe this player to be a shark or a fish it will be great to see the man who terrorised, then bankrolled, the highest stakes online poker games late in 2009.

So how will his big debut go? Firstly I believe the whole thing will be a great big anti-climax! We will all look at this guy and think; “there is Isildur1…..so that is what he looks like….cool!” Then we will sit back and watch him play in a live setting. The massive interest in Isildur1 was the fact that he came from nowhere to challenge the best poker players, seemingly acting alone with his own bankroll. This is highly rare for online poker and although the Internet does on the surface appear anonymous, most players are known in real life by their online usernames. Everyone except Isildur1.

Matchroom Sport are once again involved and this means each players entry and exit from the game will be done to entrance music. They tried this recently in snooker and it was met with bemusement rather than turning the event into a more raucous occasion like you see in the Premier League Darts evenings.

Slightly frustrating news is that in order to guarantee the appearance of Isildur1 the organisers of the event agreed to let him wear a mask to the event if he wishes to continue concealing his identity. If he has a PR team they may decide to take everyone up on that offer. In my mind he should reveal himself. He is not going to suddenly be revealed as Phil Ivey or a player everyone knows, so a drum roll moment will certainly be anti-climatic when the person is a relative unknown. The mask may be worthwhile, but again in my view the only reason to wear a mask is to build suspense for when you take it off which is only worth doing it if people know you when you remove the mask!

Isildur1 has also not fared so well in the high stakes poker games recently, particularly in Pot Limit Omaha poker. A quick look at pokertableratings suggests that Isildur1 has not yet won the money back he lost in November 2009. He has some way to go to convince me he is as good as everyone appears to think.

Fellow contestants in the event will be Tony G, Phil Laak, Jennifer Tilly, Luke ’FullFlush’ Schwartz, Neil Channing, Issac Haxton and others. This should at least give Isildur1 the chance to show what he can do, with the field looking less threatening that Tom “Durrrr” Dwan, Brian Hastings and Patrik Antonius and this game should provide him with a welcome relief from the amazing play exhibited by these top professional poker players on a daily basis. He will need to play well though, as all of these players are more than competent.

The aggressive play Isildur1 utilises is ideal for the live poker setting. It will mean exciting spots, big bluffs and agonising river decisions, all the things we love to rail when we can see their cards through the TV. The programme should heighten the railing experience of Isildur1.

Whether he unmasks or not, the television should be pure gold for poker supporters, particularly as Tony G is staking Isildur1 in this event meaning he has nothing to lose. It should be very exciting!

By Malcolm Clarke

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Tags: big cash game, isildur1, online poker, poker, tony g