The days of Isildur’1s sickest comeback: + $1.9 M in 2017

It’s July 24th, and Isildur1 has just closed his tables after a very profitable session. He has just made over half a million dollars in a single day of playing PLO and Triple Draw.

This elevates him to the status of biggest online winner of 2017 by some distance, with the Swede having turned profits of almost $2 million dollars on PokerStars alone. His session marks a major chapter in the story of Isildur1’s comeback, which many had been hoping for since his loss of $4.1 million in a single day in 2009.

If there is one thing that can be said about Isildur1’s path in the online world – its that that it hasn’t been a smooth one.

Unlike some players who liked to carefully pick spots where they knew they had an edge, Isildur1 was happy to fight it out with anyone, in any game, at any stakes.

This attitude may have been courageous, but it likely cost him millions as he learned games while playing them at the highest stakes against the best in the world.

Despite putting himself in these difficult spots, Isildur1 always seemed to land on his feet.

This was demonstrated by him winning the SCOOP Main Event for a million dollars in 2013.

2016 was a very different year for the Swedish star, however.

His fans started to become concerned as the months unfolded, with Isildur1 sliding back to $800,000 in the red during the summer.

He was playing shorter stacks at lower limit games and some feared he may be heading towards a busted bankroll again.

People began joking about a $5K deposit limit and rumours of him playing lower stakes under the name ‘Hrskar’ on Microgaming led some to believe his time at the top was over.

More: Viktor Blom in 2016: What’s Going on?

If that were true it would essentially bring the golden era of online poker to a close, with Tom Dwan and Phil Ivey having already departed the online scene in favour of live games in Macau.

The early part of 2017 didn’t bring the resurgence that many railbirds hoped for, with Isildur1 still trying to make a meaningful dent in his previous losses.

What has unfolded since then has now become part of his legacy, in an era when high stakes games are scarce and competition is extremely tough.

Taking on the likes of Trueteller, RaulGonzalez and others, Isildur1 managed to put together a $1,930,000 upswing, alongside playing 150,000 hands at the highest stakes by the end of July. He claimed in the process one of the biggest pot of year for more $240,000 while challenging in a $200/$400 PLO match an other key figure of the highstakes game Berri Sweet.

Isildur1 is not only crushing the high stakes currently, but he is also a major driving force behind their existence, with few others putting in notable volume at this level.

His upswing is extremely impressive in the current world of high stakes poker, with the ecosystem as it is.

But many questions still remain when it comes to the final months of 2017 and what they will bring for the Swedish star.

Will he continue to crush the games, or lose it all back before the year is out?

At the time of making this video he has already lost a portion of his profits.

Also, what drives Isildur1 now? Many of those who used to play high stakes online are either seeking out big live games, using their notoriety to set up businesses or chasing WSOP bracelets.

Ever the purist, Isildur1 continues to battle away at the highest stakes online against the very best in the world.

Only the coming years will truly tell us if this Swedish legend will stand the test of time or crumble into obscurity once more. For now, we can all witness and enjoy his struggles to build a bankroll and legacy that will last forever.

Read more:The legend of Isildur1 in 7 dates