Isildur1 Scores Big Win over Jungleman12 in SuperStar Showdown

Viktor “Isildur1” Blom beat his most renowned opponent yet in the PokerStars SuperStar Showdown Series, topping Dan “Jungleman12” Cates to move his record to 2-1 in the series. In the end, Blom had a win of $51,596.

The match lasted about four hours, and featured four tables of $50/$100 no limit hold’em action. As with all matches in the SuperStar Showdown, there was no side action; the two players were simply playing for the money that was on the tables.

The math between Blom and Cates, however, did have some slight rule changes. Unlike in previous matches, there was no requirement that an equal (or nearly equal) number of hands were to be played on each of the four tables. In addition, if either player busted on any of the tables, a new table would be set up to replace that one.

The match was heavily anticipated, in large part due to the hyper-aggressive style both players are known for. Fans observing the tables were not disappointed; early in the match, multiple all-in pots were seen, with the lead switching hands several times over the first half of the match.

It wasn’t until the final quarter of the match that Blom began to take control. Coming back from deficits as large as $30,000, Isildur1 slowly built up a lead and – without any one monster pot to speak of – found himself well in front as the match drew to a close. Cates won a couple of large pots in the final minutes, but it was only enough to make the score more respectable, as Blom booked at $51,196 win.

The two players were said to be cordial at the end of the match, exchanging “gg’s” as Cates calmly tweeted about losing $50,000.

As of yet, no date or opponent has been set for the 4^th installment of the SuperStar Showdown. The series was a key part of the sponsorship deal between PokerStars and Viktor Blom, who still played semi-anonymously as Isildur1 when the series began. After losing his first match, he has since defeated two well-known pros in Cates and Tony G.