I’m not sure exactly why, but I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic lately. That idea of looking back gave me the idea to do a full-on retrospective. More specifically, today we’ll be kicking off a 15-article series where we look back at Cardplayer Lifestyle’s “greatest hits”. We debuted online in November 2009 and continue publishing poker content to this day, over 15 years later. Sifting through the 3,300+ articles we released during that time has been one heck of a trip down memory lane!
The series will be broken down one year at a time, so we’ll start with 2010, our first full year of publication. Considering that I’ve penned over half this site’s posts, I’ll admit my bias upfront that I’ll overwhelmingly be selecting articles that I’ve personally written. They won’t always be the most highly-trafficked ones we’ve published, but rather they’ll be the ones that most deeply resonated with me and/or which I feel were most impactful. I hope they’ll resonate (once again) with you, too.
I hope that many longtime readers and fans will enjoy this nostalgic look back. I hope that many of our newer fans and readers will enjoy having a look at some articles they’ve likely never seen before. The poker world is quite different now in 2025 than it used to be back when we first debuted. Similarly, Cardplayer Lifestyle has evolved. I’m sure you’ll all notice how what we’ve published has improved over the years. What remains the same, however, is our love for the game.
Without further ado, and with just a bit of cringe, we’ll begin with some of the best articles we published in 2010. Yeah, I know… 🤦♂️🤣
For me, 2010 was primarily a time of experimentation, hashing out my own personal writing style, and beginning to understand who exactly the audience is that took an interest in the site’s articles. From record-breaking feats at the poker tables to bizarre real-life run-ins I had on the way home from a poker session, the year was filled with unique stories that reflected the fun, quirky, and informative tone that our readers have come to love over the years.
Below are the top five pieces that stood out to me that most truly captured the spirit of our site’s evolving voice.
Unmasking Isildur
This article explores the identity and impact of the once-enigmatic online poker player known as “Isildur1.” If you were paying any attention to poker in 2010, you’ll recall just how big a deal this guy was. Rumors swirled constantly about the mystery man, who was only months later (mid-January 2011) revealed to be Swedish player Viktor Blom. Rising to prominence in the high-stakes online poker scene, Isildur1 faced off against top professionals, achieving multimillion-dollar victories and enduring multimillion-dollar losses. The article delves into his aggressive playing style, substantial bankroll swings, and the intrigue surrounding his true identity. Blom’s fearless approach and rapid ascent in the poker world left a lasting impression on the online poker community.
Sunglasses at the Poker Table
Even now, in 2025, there’s still a little bit of chatter re: players wearing sunglasses at the poker table. Back in the original poker boom years, it was a significantly hotter topic, as players wearing sunglasses often graced our television screens via WSOP broadcasts and the like. This article examines the perspectives of poker pros Roy Winston and Daniel Negreanu at the time on the use of sunglasses during play. It discusses the sunglasses’ pros and cons as a means of concealing a player’s tells and expressions, potentially providing a strategic advantage, while also considering the ethical implications and debates surrounding their use in maintaining the integrity of the game.
New Guinness Record Holder for Longest Continuous Poker Play
Once upon a yesteryear, Phil Laak made headlines by setting a new Guinness World Record for continuous hours playing poker. The previous record had been approximately 80 hours and Laak absolutely smashed it. This article details the challenges he faced during this marathon session and the strategies he employed to maintain focus and endurance throughout the endeavor. His 115-hour feat has incredibly since been broken, but Laak’s 5-day-long poker session/publicity stunt remains etched in poker lore to this day.
Poker Blogger Avoids Donks During Game, Crashes Into Donkey Driving Home
Back in the day, I fancied myself a poker blogger rather than a poker writer, and Cardplayer Lifestyle as a poker blog, rather than a poker media site. Like I said, the poker world has changed, this site has evolved, and we’ve done a good bit of maturation over the last 15+ years. That said, memories of this home game poker session I had back in my late 20s are still plenty vivid in my mind. Well, not necessarily the session as much as what happened on the drive home. As this article details, I quite literally crashed my car into a donkey.
23-Player Poker Tournament Chop at Foxwoods Casino
While Joe Stapleton and James Hartigan will maintain that “everyone loves a chopped pot,” perhaps there’s such a thing as “a wee bit too big” of a chop? It’s possible that there have been bigger chops since I wrote this article back in 2010, but I still remember how shocked I was to hear this news. Fact is, even nowadays, if you hear about a 23-player chop in a $400 buy-in tournament, you’ll want to know the details, how much each player walked away with, and more.
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