Negreanu Stuns Isildur1 (And Everyone Else) In Second Round of SuperStar Showdown

No one can say that current lifetime earnings leader Daniel Negreanu isn’t humble. Prior to engaging in his first SuperStar Showdown against Viktor “Isildur1” Blom, Negreanu admitted that heads-up wasn’t his forte. That might have seemed like an understatement after Isildur1 slaughtered him for the full $150,000 in their first match-up last weekend. Tonight, despite that painful loss, Negreanu kept his word and showed up for his SuperStar Showdown rematch. In case you haven’t heard, things went a little different this time around.

Before we get into the nitty gritty details of the second Isildur1 vs PokerKid bout, let’s take a look at the lead-up. Despite his overwhelming SuperStar Showdown victory over one of poker’s most distinguished players, Isildur1 just couldn’t keep the momentum when he returned to the regular heads-up ring games during the week. In just one night, Blom lost more than $400,000 in a shockingly bad 4,000+ hand session. Meanwhile, Negreanu was training hard for the rematch. While Negreanu failed to post any sessions that were as good as Isildur1’s was bad, it was nevertheless clear to PokerStars spectators that the Canadian pro was finally making ground.

Fast forward to tonight. Both players took their seats at the four predesignated $50/$100 NLHE tables. The action got off to a slow start, but before long it seemed clear that Isildur1 still had the upper-hand. Negreanu was once again down well over $100,000 and a table when they reached the halfway mark of the challenge. At one point, the PokerKid was as much as $130,000 in the hole. It looked like he might have to bow out early again, but then something unexpected happened…He started winning.

Watching Negreanu’s eventual victory over Isildur1 was a lot like watching a baby learn how to walk. When he won one hand, the general consensus was “Good for him.” At that point, most of the pro’s fanbase just wanted him to finish with some dignity. But then he won another hand, and another. After two key hands cut Negreanu’s losses in half, a different kind of energy started to build among the spectators.

With only a few hundred hands left in the match, Negreanu did the unthinkable – he pulled ahead. The tension was palpable, and chatter was light if not entirely non-existent. The lead waffled a little, but ultimately Negreanu managed to stay on top, not only completing the requisite 2500 hands this time around but completing them with a respectable $26,500 win. It was a double loss for Isildur1 whose SuperStar Showdown winning streak has now ended. Still, the tenacious young Swede isn’t retiring yet. He’s already got another match scheduled for next week, this time against frequent foe Scott “URnotINdangr2” Palmer.

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