Viktor Blom

Viktor Blom was born on 26 September 1990 in Gothenburg, Sweden. He learned poker from his older brother at age 14, initially playing heads-up no-limit Texas hold'em. Soon he was teaching friends and playing micro stakes during school breaks, with buy-ins ranging from $3 to $7. At 15, Blom and his brother deposited money online and finished fifth in a multi-table tournament for $300—a huge sum for them. His brother then gave him his own account, and Blom (using the screen name 'blom90') quickly moved up to $530 sit-n-gos, amassing over $275,000 before losing it all in higher-stakes cash games. He rebuilt with a $3,000 deposit and climbed back up. At 17, he deposited $2,500 on PartyPoker and won over $200,000 in two days, soon followed by a $1.7 million win on iPoker in two weeks. Swedish tax laws heavily taxed online poker winnings, so Blom moved to London at age 21.

Blom first appeared on Full Tilt Poker under the alias 'Isildur1' on 16 September 2009. He remained largely unnoticed until November, when he began playing well-known professionals such as Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey, Brian Townsend, Cole South, and Patrik Antonius at stakes as high as $500/$1,000. His fearless, ultra-aggressive style quickly made him an online sensation. By 15 November 2009, Isildur1 had reached peak online winnings of nearly $6 million and participated in all ten of the largest pots in online poker history at that time.

However, his success was volatile. On 8 December 2009, he played a five-hour heads-up $500/$1,000 pot-limit Omaha session against Brian Hastings, losing over $4 million. This loss sparked controversy when it was discovered that Hastings had obtained hand histories of Blom from Cole South and Brian Townsend, leading to accusations of unfair advantage. Isildur1 then disappeared from the high-stakes scene for almost a year. He returned in February 2010 and continued to play at the highest levels, but his bankroll swings remained legendary—losing millions in a day then winning it back.

In December 2010, PokerStars announced that the anonymous Isildur1 had joined Team PokerStars Pro. His identity was revealed on 8 January 2011 at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). Blom parted ways with PokerStars in August 2012 and was quickly signed by Full Tilt Poker on 15 October 2012, alongside rival Tom Dwan.

Blom was initially known almost exclusively as an online cash game player, but he gradually made his mark in live tournaments. His biggest live cash came at the 2012 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, where he won the $100,000 Super High Roller for $1,254,000, defeating Dan Shak heads-up. In February 2018, he won the €5,300 partypoker MILLIONS Germany Main Event for €850,000, making a famous hero call on the final hand.

Starting in the mid-2020s, Blom began focusing more on live tournaments, particularly at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas. He has several WSOP cashes and deep runs, including a 272nd-place finish in the 2025 WSOP Main Event. He was in contention for the 2025 WSOP Player of the Year award, eventually won by Shaun Deeb. As of mid-2025, Blom has no WSOP bracelet but has 23 money finishes. His total live tournament earnings exceed $7.7 million (according to PokerNews) or $5.9 million (which may not include recent results). He ranks 3rd on the Sweden all-time money list.

Blom's style is defined by extreme aggression, relentless three-betting and four-betting with wide ranges, frequent large overbets, and a willingness to bluff in massive pots. He relies on deep reads and psychological pressure rather than strict hand strength. This approach, while highly profitable when on a heater, also leads to enormous variance. His ability to bounce back from colossal losses has become part of his legend.

The alias 'Isildur1' is taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, reflecting Blom's battle against the 'ring' of poker—the highest stakes and toughest opponents. He remains one of the most iconic figures in online poker history, inspiring a generation of aggressive players. Despite his relatively limited live tournament resume compared to his online exploits, his impact on the game is undeniable.