Nosebleed stakes enigma Isildur1 has spoken publically for the first time about his $4 million loss at the hands of Brian Hastings. The Swedish youngster came clean, in light of Brian Townsend’s one month suspension for sharing hand histories amongst Cardrunners pros.
Townsend supplied Hastings with 30,000 hands to help decipher betting patterns, and was deemed in breach of Full Tilt Poker’s terms and conditions. Now that Townsend has been suitably punished, questions remain over the legitimacy of the $4 million victory, and whether Isildur1 is entitled to his money back.
Isildur1 comes across as humble and reserved in the interview, insisting he hasn’t contacted Brian Hastings or Full Tilt Poker regarding the controversy. However he does admit that the Cardrunners pros had a distinct edge on him, suggesting possible collusion.
With regards to the future, Isildur1 claims he will be lodging a formal complaint to Full Tilt Poker. He claims the TC members, ‘were able to dissect the exact way I was playing because they analyzed the hands so precisely’, and is therefore entitled to his money back.
As for what’s next, Isildur1 will stay away from the poker limelight until Full Tilt Poker deal with the complaint. Debate continues to rage on the twoplustwo forums as to what should happen, with the majority of users backing Isildur1. Even if Full Tilt Poker shuns the complaint, the Swede is within his rights to hire a top lawyer to present the facts.
Meanwhile Tony G, the first pro to identify Isildur1 as Viktor Blom, has had his say on the Townsend scandal. The owner of staking site Chip Me Up claims the collusion between Hastings, South and Townsend, ‘leaves a bad smell in the air for everyone’, and insists the talented Isildur1 can use the experience as a learning tool and come back stronger.