Nowadays, Annette Obrestad is one of the most talked about players in the world of poker. This phenomenal teenage poker player from Sandnes, Norway is one of the best online tournament players in the world. She currently ranks 10th in the PocketFives.com Online Tournament Player Rankings, but she has been the top-ranked player as well. Annette recently broke several records by winning the inaugural WSOPE Main Event the day before she turned 19. She became the youngest player ever to win a WSOP bracelet, and the one million-pound sterling first prize she won is the largest single-event payout to a female player. Annie Duke set the previous record when she won $2 million at the 2004 WSOP Tournament of Champions.
Annette was born on September 18, 1988 in Sandnes, Norway. She started her poker career online at the age of fifteen, playing mostly on UltimateBet and PokerStars under the screen-name Annette_15. Back then, a friend sent her some money but the idea of a 15-year-old playing online poker generated some controversy, even though Annette admitted that she never actually deposited any of her own money on any website. Obrestad started winning some freerolls, and elevated her game to legendary heights by building a solid bankroll that allowed her to afford competing at the highest levels. Annette once won a 180-player online sit-and-go tournament without looking at the cards in her own hand: she read her opponents perfectly and used her outstanding bluffing skills.
Having played thousands of hands online, Obrestad eventually started playing in live poker tournaments. She placed 37th in the $5,000 Championship Event at the 2006 UltimateBet Aruba Poker Classic in Palm Beach, and then Annette cashed in three live tournaments more, including her 18th place finish at the €300 Pot Limit Omaha event at the EPT Barcelona Open. Obrestad wanted to compete in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas but her age was an obstacle (Nevada’s legal age for gambling is 21 years.)
The announcement of the WSOPE coming to the United Kingdom changed her life (the United Kingdom’s legal age for gambling is 18 years). Obrestad entered the Main Event and immediately found her game, eliminating Annie Duke and Jennifer Harman on Day 3 of the tournament. Annette made it to the final table where she faced John Tabatabai in heads-up play, culminating her performance with the impressive win. Recently she became part of the Betfair Poker team, and she even has her own blog on the site. Annette Obrestad’s name will be heard in the near future, hopefully in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
Annette Obrestad Fun Facts and Finishes
• Inaugural WSOPE Main Event winner.
• Youngest winner of a WSOP bracelet.
• First woman to ever win a WSOP Main Event title.
• The one million pound sterling first prize she won at the WSOPE Main Event is the largest single-event payout to a female player.
• Her screen-name Annette_15 is legendary among other online poker players.
• Won a 180-player online sit-and-go tournament without looking at her hand.
• Has a blog at Betfair Poker.
World Series of Poker Bracelets
Date Tournament Prize (US$)
15-Sep-07 £ 10,000 No Limit Hold’em $2,013,734
