Isildur1’s Turns 13K to 1.75M on Phenom Poker

On April 8, 2026, Viktor Blom deposited 13,626 USDT on Phenom Poker. Ten days later, he had 1,750,000 USDT.
Not a tournament win. Not a lucky flip. A ten-day cash game session across the highest-stakes mixed game and PLO tables online – battling some of the best poker players in the world, surviving a 451K losing day, and walking away with one of the most extraordinary short-term results in the history of online poker.
This is the full breakdown. Every day. Every game. The five biggest pots. And what the run tells you about how Isildur1 actually plays – and why Phenom Poker is where the serious action is happening right now.
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The Run at a Glance – 13,626 USDT to 1,750,000 USDT in 10 Days
Let’s start with the numbers. Because they are hard to believe, even when you see them laid out.

| Date | Net Result (USDT) | Hands Played |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 8 | +35,858 | 417 |
| Apr 9 | +2,196 | 91 |
| Apr 10 | -37,688 | 193 |
| Apr 11 | +78,162 | 1,113 |
| Apr 12 | +302,142 | 930 |
| Apr 13 | Day off | – |
| Apr 14 | -133,856 | 1,971 |
| Apr 15 | +668,882 | 3,526 |
| Apr 16 | +104,070 | 3,398 |
| Apr 17 | -451,619 | 5,205 |
| Apr 18 | +1,068,294 | 4,043 |
| Apr 19 | +116,576 | 108 |

Placement: After the day-by-day table
Seven winning days. Three losing days. One day off.
He lost 451K on April 17. He responded with a 1.07M winning day on April 18. His starting deposit was effectively zeroed out several times in the first week – and each time he reloaded and kept firing.
20,995 hands total. His opponents: Alexander Kostritsyn, Johannes Becker, Volker Stuermer, and Christopher Kruk – a lineup of legitimate world-class mixed game players, not fish.
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How Does This Compare to the Biggest Online Cash Game Runs Ever?
Context matters. “Winning $1.75M online” sounds abstract. Here is what it means in historical terms.
Online poker has produced very few documented ten-day cash game runs with profits above $ 1 M. The nosebleed era of Full Tilt (2008-2011) produced swings of this size, but rarely in this direction – sustained, multi-game dominance over a concentrated period against quality opposition.
The closest parallels are Isildur1 himself. In November 2009, he peaked at $5.98M total on Full Tilt, but that figure included some of the biggest losses in the history of online poker along the way. In 2015, he was the biggest online winner of the year, with $3.5M, but that was over an entire calendar year.
A 128x return on deposit in ten days, in cash games, against elite opponents, with full session transparency and verified hand counts – that is rare at any level. At 2,000/4,000 stakes, it is almost unprecedented.
Comparable Online Cash Game Runs – for Context
| Player | Platform | Period | Approximate Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isildur1 (Viktor Blom) | Phenom Poker | Apr 8-19, 2026 | +$1.75M (10 days) |
| Isildur1 (Viktor Blom) | Full Tilt Poker | Nov 2009 | +$5.98M peak (6 weeks) |
| Isildur1 (Viktor Blom) | PokerStars | Full year 2015 | +$3.5M (12 months) |
| Phil Ivey | Full Tilt Poker | 2009 | +$3.2M vs Isildur1 (1 week) |
The Phenom Poker run is notable not just for its size but also for its speed, game selection, and the quality of its opposition. This was not a table selection against recreational players. These were games at the highest stakes on the platform against known elite regulars.
The Game-by-Game Breakdown – Where the Money Was Made
Isildur1 did not win this money at a single table or in a single format. He played across multiple disciplines. And the game-by-game split reveals a lot about where his edge is sharpest right now.
| Game | Net P&L (USDT) | Hands Played |
|---|---|---|
| 2-7 Triple Draw | +1,289,965 | 3,631 |
| Limit Omaha 8/b | +576,302 | 3,694 |
| 8-Game Mix | +114,802 | 11,675 |
| Big O | +49,697 | 725 |
| Circus Mix | +240 | 75 |
| PLO6 Double Board | -540 | 19 |
| 6 Card PLO 8/b | -1,061 | 28 |
| Badeucy 2-7 | -20,485 | 171 |
| Fun Mix | -22,587 | 75 |
| PLO5 | -233,317 | 902 |
The picture is clear. He dominated in 2-7 Triple Draw – his biggest single-game profit by a wide margin – crushed Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, and played 8-Game Mix at high volume for a solid positive result. His one significant leak was PLO5 heads-up – down 233K over 840 hands against T. Tabagari at 200/400.
Even Isildur1 has a game he would rather not play. In this case, PLO5 heads-up against one specific opponent cost him a chunk. It did not derail the run.
Why 2-7 Triple Draw? The Evergreen Case for Mixed Games
Most poker players have never played 2-7 Triple Draw. It does not appear on the poker shows. It is not in most online lobbies. But it is one of the most skill-intensive formats in existence – and at nosebleed stakes, it is where some of the deepest edges hide.
In 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball, you are dealt five cards and have three drawing rounds to make the best low hand. The nuts is 2♣ 3♥ 4♦ 5♠ 7♥ (no flush). Pairs, straights, and flushes all count against you. Aces are high.
It rewards players who can:
- Read draw patterns and hand ranges across multiple streets
- Apply pressure in drawing rounds when opponents are visibly weak
- Understand pat vs draw equity in real time
- Adapt quickly to opponent tendencies in a format that most players have played very little in
Isildur1’s 2-7 Triple Draw results in this session – +1.29M over 3,631 hands at 2,000/4,000 – suggest his edge in this format against these opponents is substantial. For context, 3,631 hands at those stakes represents a meaningful sample. This was not a short heater.
The Five Biggest Pots – Hand Analysis
Here are the five biggest single pots Viktor played during the Phenom Poker run. They tell you more about how he plays than any summary could.
One important note: all five screenshots below are from April 17 – his single worst day of the run, down 451K. Even on his worst day, he was sitting in six-figure pots. That context matters.
Pot #1 – 166,881 USDT – Lost
200/400 PLO5

Viktor Blom: T♥ T♣ K♦ K♠ 2♠
T. Tabagari: 4♦ A♥ 7♥ T♦ 8♠
Board: 2♦ 5♦ J♥ – 2♥ – 9♦
Blom four-bet preflop holding double-suited T-T-K-K. Tabagari called. Both players checked the J♥5♦2♦ flop. The 2♥ on the turn gave Blom trip deuces beneath his overpairs. He led for 14,251 USDT. Tabagari raised to 64,347 USDT. Blom moved all-in.
Tabagari’s 4♦ A♥ 7♥ T♦ 8♠ had four diamonds and zero made value. He needed diamonds to win. The 9♦ arrived on the river. Flush completed. Blom’s trips lost the 166,881 USDT pot.
The call was a significant gamble. It connected. This is why PLO5 variance at these stakes is so extreme – and why Blom’s -233K in PLO5 on this day does not tell the full story of the spots he was getting in.
Pot #2 – 165,136 USDT – Lost
200/400 PLO5

Viktor Blom: J♠ 3♦ J♣ 7♦ 9♣
T. Tabagari: 7♥ A♠ 5♣ K♥ A♣
Board: 7♠ 7♣ 3♣ – 5♠ – 2♦
Out of a four-bet pot, the 7♠7♣3♣ flop arrived. Blom used 7♦3♦ to make sevens full of threes – a monster on that board. He check-raised the flop, then shoved on the 5♠ turn for 50,271 USDT.
The problem: Tabagari held 7♥5♣ alongside pocket aces. The 5♠ on the turn had quietly upgraded his trip sevens to sevens full of fives – the superior full house. Blom was drawing dead before he shoved. The 2♦ river was a formality. The 165,136 USDT pot went to Tabagari.
Blom’s full house was beaten by a better full house. These are the cooler spots that define PLO5 at this level – unavoidable, brutal, and completely standard.
Pot #3 – 150,189 USDT – Won
200/400 PLO5

Viktor Blom: 9♠ 5♠ A♣ K♣ 7♣
T. Tabagari: 3♦ 5♥ K♦ 4♥ Q♥
Board: 8♦ 4♦ 6♠ – 2♥ – 3♣
Tabagari three-bet preflop and called on the flop, turn, and river as Blom barrelled through the 8♦4♦6♠2♥ board. On the 3♣ river, Blom loaded up a 50,063 USDT bet.
Tabagari called, tabling 3♦ 5♥ for a six-high straight: 2♥ 3♣ 4♦ 5♥ 6♠. He had rivered a straight and called 50K with confidence. So had Blom – his 5♠7♣ made an eight-high straight: 4♦5♠6♠7♣8♦, one rung higher.
Both players rivered straights. Tabagari called 50,063 USDT to the losing end. Blom took the 150,189 USDT pot.
Pot #4 – 123,578 USDT – Lost
200/400 PLO5

Viktor Blom: T♥ 6♣ 7♥ 7♥ 6♥
T. Tabagari: 6♠ 2♥ 9♣ 8♠ A♣
Board: A♦ 8♣ 9♦ – 4♠ – 4♦
Tabagari raised, Blom three-bet to 3,600 USDT. Blom bet the A♦ 8♣ 9♦ flop for 4,747 USDT and led again on the 4♠ turn for 16,687 USDT. Tabagari raised all-in to 53,445 USDT. Blom called off his remaining 36,757 USDT.
Tabagari showed A♣ 9♣ – top two pair flopped on the A-9 board. Blom showed 7♥ 7♠ for two pair, sevens, and fours. The 4♦ river changed nothing meaningful. The 123,578 USDT pot went to Tabagari.
Pot #5 – 113,143 USDT – Won
200/400 PLO5

Viktor Blom: K♦ 6♦ T♣ 6♣ 8♠
T. Tabagari: Q♦ K♥ T♥ 8♦ 9♥
Board: K♠ J♠ 6♥ – 4♣ – 3♠
The K♠ J♠ 6♥ flop connected with Blom’s K♦ 6♦ T♣ 6♣ 8♠ in multiple ways – top pair of kings plus a set of sixes, using both 6♦6♣ with the 6♥ on board. Tabagari held K♥ for the top pair and a strong wrap draw combining Q♦ T♥ 8♦ 9♥.
He called bets on the flop and turn. The 4♣ 3♠ runout did not complete any of his draws. Blom’s set of sixes took down the 113,143 USDT pot.
What the Hand History Tells You
Blom’s worst single day of the run, down 451,619 USDT. He played 5,205 hands that day. He was in six-figure pots throughout. He won two of the five biggest. He ran into two unavoidable coolers and one runner-runner flush draw.
The next day – April 18 – he won 1,068,294 USDT. That is Isildur1. He does not tilt. He does not quit. He just fires again.
The broader picture: his PLO5 edge in this session was marginal or slightly negative against Tabagari specifically. His 2-7 Triple Draw and Limit Omaha Hi-Lo edges were enormous. The mixed game spread is where he made his money, and the PLO5 variance is what made the graph look like it did.
Who Was He Playing Against?
This matters for context. The players Isildur1 faced during this run are not recreational players or tourists.
- Alexander Kostritsyn – long-time Russian high-stakes regular, known online as “joiso”, extensive mixed game background, and multiple major cashes
- Johannes Becker – German mixed game specialist with multiple WSOP and high roller final tables
- Volker Stuermer – experienced European high-stakes player with a track record at nosebleed limits
- T. Tabagari – the PLO5 heads-up opponent responsible for Blom’s three biggest pot losses – and two of his biggest pot wins – during the run
The +1.75M was generated from players who understand these games at a level that fewer than 100 people in the world can match. This was not soft. The result makes it more remarkable, not less.
Phenom Poker – The Platform Making It Happen
Phenom Poker is not a mainstream poker site yet. It is built specifically for mixed-game and PLO action, but also offers No-Limit Hold ’em cash games and tournaments. – and it has also attracted a caliber of players you will not find at most sites.
The fact that Isildur1 chose Phenom Poker as his platform – and signed as a paid ambassador – is itself a signal. Viktor Blom does not play where the games are bad. He plays where the action is. And right now, the action is on Phenom Poker.
Some of the April 2026 sessions were streamed live on Kick. Session replays are available where coverage existed. The platform publishes running P&L data and hand counts, which is exactly why you can get the full breakdown above with verified numbers.
If you want to understand the platform properly before signing up, start here:
- Phenom Poker Review – Our independent verdict on the games, stakes, payment options, and who the platform is built for
- Phenom Poker Bonus Code SMPBONUS – The latest welcome offer, full terms breakdown, and how to claim it
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Will Isildur1 Keep Playing on Phenom Poker?
Almost certainly. He is a platform ambassador – a formal ongoing relationship, not a one-time appearance. His April 2026 results show he has found games that suit his mixed game strengths at stakes that make it worth his while.
The deeper question is whether the opponents who took losses during this run come back looking for a rematch. In the history of online poker nosebleeds, that dynamic has produced some of the most memorable sessions ever played. Isildur1 vs Patrik Antonius was rematched multiple times. The Isildur1 vs Tom Dwan week ran for seven straight days. It tends to escalate.
If the same cast returns to Phenom Poker’s highest-stakes tables, what follows could be just as significant as what we just saw.
Watch this space. And if you want a seat on the same platform, read our Phenom Poker review first – then sign up with code SMPBONUS.
Responsible Gambling & Editorial Transparency
This article is produced independently by the SomuchPoker editorial team. We may earn a commission if you sign up via our links. This does not affect our coverage or analysis.
The session results described in this article are those of a professional poker player with decades of experience at the highest stakes. They are not typical. High-stakes cash games involve extreme variance – even elite players can and do lose significant sums. Play within your means.
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