Mon, 01/24/2011 – 21:39 – PokerPages Staff

Team PokerStars sponsored pro Viktor ‘Isildur1′ Blom and Dan ‘jungleman12′ Cates sat down at the world’s biggest online poker site on Friday for an epic heads up duel.

The nosebleed regulars began their exchange at the $25/$50 tables before moving up to the $50/$100 tables several hours later.

Cates, who was playing under his ‘w00ki3z’ PokerStars alias, was on a small downswing early on but managed to dominate the latter stages to post profits in excess of $40,000.

Cates won a pivotal hand after meeting Blom’s all in call with a second pair. Blom flipped over K-10 high and the 21 year-old took down the $29,698 pot.

The marathon duel prompted several choice words from the duo with the Swedish sensation calling Cates’ style of play a ‘joke’ and commenting that he would ‘play this session until I bust or you quit.’

However, Blom was unable to fulfill that aim as he lost out in a huge coin flip situation at the end of the session.

Cates six bet all-in pre flop with Ac-Ks and Blom completed with Jh-Jd. Cates paired up on the flop and the turn and river drew air. The Maryland native snared the $40,000 pot.

It represents a welcome turn around in fortunes for Cates who was one of Blom’s major victims during his hot streak on Full Tilt Poker during late 2009.

Viktor Blom has struggled to find consistency on PokerStars since joining the illustrious Team PokerStars ranks. The 20 year old was down $100,000 on Saturday, pushing his overall deficit past the $300,000 mark.

For more information about the biggest online poker players visit the PokerPages Popular Players.

Thu, 01/20/2011 – 02:12 – PokerPages Staff

Nosebleed regular Scott ‘URnotIndanger2′ Palmer took down the biggest pot of his online poker career during a scintillating heads up battle with Patrik Antonius on the virtual felt on Monday.

The high stakes duo sat down for a lengthy session of $500/$1000 Pot Limit Omaha. Railbirds were treated to master-class in big pot exchanges as nine hands passed the $200,000 mark.

Palmer downed the record pot after three betting to $9,000 pre-flop. Antonius re-raised to $16,000 and the 21 year-old, Maryland native completed.

A 9s-4h-3s flop prompted Palmer to check and Antonius bet $32,000. Palmer called before leading out for $96,000 after the Jh hit the felt on the turn.

Antonius jammed all-in for around $128,000 and Palmer called before flipping over Js-10h-8h-4s for two pair with two flush draws and an open-ended straight draw.

Antonius was dominated as he tabled As-Jd-8d-6s for top pair with top kicker. The Finn was hoping for a miracle on the river as Palmer held a 90% chance of downing the colossal $352,000 pot.

They ran it twice but neither card helped Patrik Antonius. Scott Palmer completed flush and straight draws with Kh and Qd as he snared the spoils.

Antonius bounced back by winning the second biggest pot of the evening worth $261,000 after spiking a nut flush draw on the river.

However, Palmer ended the night in style after tabling a set of tens to snare a pot worth $233,000. The young online sensation has enjoyed a superb start to the calendar year and is currently on an upswing of over $1 million for 2011.