Poker Stars: NURLAN81 Wins Big, Phil Galfond Returns, Viktor Blom Goes Solo

NURLAN81, a player from Kazakhstan, made a significant win at the Red Spade Open tournament on PokerStars. The tournament, held on August 15, 2012, had a buy-in of $55 and attracted 24,496 players. NURLAN81 emerged victorious, securing a prize of $244,979.24. Before the tournament, NURLAN81 sold shares in a forum post titled 'Проснемся миллионерами' to fund his entry.

Phil Galfond, a well-known poker player, returned to PokerStars after a long absence. In his first 17 hours of play, Galfond won $402,000, playing 4,400 hands at limits of $25/$50 and $50/$100. His winrate exceeded the high standard of '1 stack per 100 hands'.

Viktor Blom, known as Isildur1, is no longer a PokerStars Pro. His contract with the poker room was not renewed, making him a free agent. On his first day as a free agent, Blom won $285,400, defeating EireAbu in a pot-limit Omaha match. Blom's win included a notable hand where EireAbu went all-in pre-flop with Ax Kx 6x 6x.