Deputy Editor
Poker fans waking up from a 16-year nap wouldn’t think anything much is amiss. Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates and Viktor ‘Isildur1’ Blom are making waves in high-stakes online cash games again, showing fans everywhere that they’ve still got it.
Both players were among the most successful online cash players of the late-era Full Tilt Poker nosebleed days. Cates gained fame by beating Tom Dwan in the early stages of the “Durrrr Challenge” before that spectacle went off the rails. Blom, meanwhile, authored some of the most insane swings in poker history, spinning up and losing million-dollar bankrolls in hold’em and pot-limit Omaha while playing the best opponents in the world in both games.
Now, each man is back in the headlines. And each is doing what made him famous in the poker world: spinning in high-stakes cash.
Keep Reading
Jungleman in Contention for Heads-Up Cash Game World Championship
CoinPoker’s Heads-Up Cash Game World Championship sought to give poker players a chance to compete against elite competition, with the operator providing a value-add proposition to entice these matches. CoinPoker added $5,000 into the prize pool per player, along with a special Rolex watch.
Players battle at stakes of at least $50-$100. They accumulate points based on both winning matches and the expected value they generate.
The competition has narrowed to a final four, and Cates remains in contention for the $100,000 first-place prize.
Drawn into a group with “XIAOJUN7777777” and Bjorn ‘asianflushie’ Li, Cates, playing as “CherryBlawesome,” bested them both to move onto the semifinals.
There, he’s facing off with “SeaLlama,” a regular in the high-stakes cash games on the site. As of Wednesday evening, Cates held the early lead in the match. With top contenders like Owen ‘PR0DIGY’ Messere and Linus ‘LLinusLLove’ Loeliger already toast, Cates stands a good chance of winning the whole thing. On the other side of the bracket, one of “KraciFisk” and “GoinHardInThaPaint” will advance.
Taking down the Heads-Up Cash Game World Championship would be yet another feather in the cap of Cates, who has made his mark across different game formats. The two-time Poker Players Championship bracelet winner has made more headlines in tournaments for the past few years. However, he’s showing he hasn’t lost his touch in heads-up no-limit hold’em, either.
Blom Reportedly Spinning Another Massive Roll on Phenom Poker
According to a social media post from Phenom Poker, which sponsors Blom, the online legend is back to his old tricks of running up a seven-figure bankroll. The operator’s post claims that Blom deposited about $13,600 on April 8. In less than two weeks, they said, he had turned that into almost $1.8 million.
Blom won more than $1 million on April 18 alone.
Most of the action has reportedly taken place at $2,000-$4,000 8-game. Blom has been battling top mixed-game pros like Johannes Becker and Christopher Kruk. Most of the action has been heads-up.
Considering that game has a $200,000 maximum buy-in, and Blom was battling on three tables Wednesday evening, his profits are anything but safe.
Phenom Poker has had some struggles lately, including raising liquidity concerns and being forced to bring the site offline after a hack.
However, Blom’s ascension is providing some much-needed positive attention. The site seems to have found a niche dealing less common formats like 8-game, 6-card PLO, and various mixes. Blom’s exploits have piqued fan interest, and the operator is taking advantage by showcasing his play on some livestreams.
