Who is Isildur1? That’s been one of the more often-asked questions in the online poker community over the last two years.

Now we have a definitive answer: Isildur1 is Viktor Blom. That’s the word from PokerStars via a press conference at the PCA that took place during dinner break.

Seems a little anti-climactic, no?

Not familiar with the Isildur1 backstory? Read this comprehensive timeline of Isildur1’s rise to online infamy.

Since the mystery player exploded on the high-stakes scene in 2009, the identity of the online gunslinger has been a matter of intense debate. It was Tony G, along with a good chunk of 2+2, who first identified Viktor Blom the man behind the screen name Isildur1 in late 2009.

Despite his denials, Blom’s name continued to be the only serious one in circulation throughout 2010, and events surrounding the signing of Isildur1 by PokerStars didn’t do much to dampen the conclusion’s credibility.

Image from the reveal below:

Image credit.

The cat being out of the bag apparently put PokerStars in a bit of a bind. They couldn’t make too big of a deal around the reveal of Isildur1 (or drag out the process too long), as most already felt the information was old news. However, after hyping the signing of Isildur1, they couldn’t just change Isildur1’s bio to include Blom’s picture in the middle of the night.

Stars apparently felt the best compromise was to extend the “mystery” for a bit and then use the reveal as a way to focus a bit more attention on their premiere live event of the year, the PCA.

We, for one, are disappointed that the mystery of Isildur1 was so easily so solved. While it is quite difficult for secrets to be kept in the online poker industry, there’s just such a compelling element to the idea of an anonymous player battling it out at the highest available stakes online against some of the most famous players.

Now that Isildur1 is unmasked, will the interest level of the online poker community be the same? Doubtful. The Superstar Showdown matches will still make for quality poker, but the star quality of Isildur1 was largely based on the mystery that surrounded him. Without that, he’ll simply be another name on a fairly long list of nosebleed regulars.

Read more about Isildur1 at PokerStars