Annette Obrestad debuts on Feb. 1
When ESPN traveled overseas to cover the World Series of Poker Europe, the names and faces to cover weren't as familiar as one might expect. However, before the start of the main event, there was one name on the lips of every poker fan around the world: Annette Obrestad. Defending champion of the event, the 20-year-old Obrestad takes center stage during ESPN's coverage of Day 1.
In 2007, Obrestad, from Sandnes, Norway, became the youngest player in the history of the WSOP to win a bracelet, doing so one day shy of her 19th birthday. Determined to prove that her victory wasn't a fluke, Obrestad, with the fitting new nickname of the "Queen of Europe," entered the 2008 tournament hoping to use her experience to produce another solid finish.
"She's a very talented young lady who absolutely puts fear into the heart of her opponents," said 2006 WSOP main event champion Joe Hachem. "I like her aggressive style, and I think she's got a big future in poker."
If there's one player who knows firsthand about the 20-year-old's playing style, it is John Tabatabai, who finished second to Obrestad in 2007.
"[She is] an incredible, fearless player, but methodical and logical in all decisions she makes," said Tabatabai.
The praise continued from many other players who commonly described her as everything from charming, sweet and friendly to ferocious, hyperaggressive, and "an animal." Very few players in the game have left such a positive impression upon so many in such a short period of time.
Obrestad, diminutive in stature but big in heart, began playing poker online when she was only 15 years old, as her screen name of "Annette_15" would attest. She claims never to have made a deposit once she began playing, concentrating on freerolls which paid a small amount of money to start building her bankroll. From this humble beginning she accumulated online tournament winnings in excess of $1.75 million prior to her appearance in the 2007 WSOPE, cementing her reputation as one of online poker's most feared and dangerous foes. She has many multitable tournament victories, including one in a massive field of 20,000 players.
In July 2007 she emerged victorious in a field of 180 online players while looking at her hole cards only once, and then only because she was faced with an all-in situation. She said she did this to show the importance of playing position and focusing on the other players at the table.
"I used a piece of paper and some tape, and just put it over the spot on my computer screen where my cards were dealt, making sure I could still see my own chip stack," Obrestad said modestly.
This amazing feat could certainly qualify her as the poster child for those who believe that poker is not a card game played by people, but rather a people game played with cards.
Her victory in the 2007 WSOPE was good for just over $2 million and was the largest cash in history by a woman. Shortly after her victory at the 2007 WSOPE, she finished second in the EPT Dublin, good for another $429,000. She now has lifetime live tournament winnings of nearly $2.6 million, and already ranks No. 3 on the all-time women's money list, trailing only Kathy Liebert and Annie Duke. Not bad for someone not yet old enough to play in Las Vegas!
"I'll definitely be playing in the World Series of Poker and the bigger $10,000 events in the U.S." Obrestad said about her plans when she turns 21. "I don't know how much I'll be playing outside of Europe though, as my sponsorship with BetFair is more for European tournaments than anything else since BetFair isn't open to the U.S. market."
In the meantime, she says that when she is not traveling she still plays online an average of 20-40 hours a week with the encouragement of her family.
"My family has always been very supportive, and they've always watched my back since I told them I wanted to turn pro," she said. "Almost everyone in my family plays poker now!"
When the first WSOP Europe shows air on Feb. 1 they will be the first opportunity for many to watch not only Annette in action, but many other up-and-coming pros looking to duplicate the success that she had last year. Obrestad will have her hands full with a tough field that included six members of the 2008 WSOP November Nine, as well as a seat at a table with pros Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak, Shane Schleger and Marco Traniello.
Coverage begins on Feb. 1 on both ESPN and ESPN2. Dennis Oehring serves as the public relations coordinator for the firm POKER PROductions.
