Norwegian poker pro Annette Obrestad is the youngest person to ever win a WSOP bracelet—a feat she accomplished at the 2007 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) Main Event the day before her 19th birthday.
The 29-year-old—also known as Annette_15 online and The Huntress—currently ranks second on Norway’s All-Time Money List and 285th on the All-Time Money List with just over $3.9 million in total live earnings.
Today, she resides in Las Vegas and was recently named as ambassador to the Venetian poker room in Las Vegas.
Below, check out Annette_15’s top 5 live moments including her epic WSOPE win at number one. Read on for more on Annette Obrestad playing blind, and take a look at her biggest tournament cashes.
As of April 2020, Annette Obrestad’s career tournament earnings total $3,942,233. Let’s take a look at Obrestad’s five biggest tournament finishes:
In July 2007, Obrestad entered a $4 buy-in online sit-and-go tournament where she played nearly the entire tournament without looking at her cards.
In an interview, she admitted looking at her hand only when faced with an all-in bet. She did this to demonstrate the importance of playing one’s position, understanding bet sizing, and being able to read people. Watch Obrestad discuss her incredible success—and how most people recognize her from that accomplishment instead of the WSOPE.
Annette Obrestad, playing blind, took down the win in the 180-person tournament.
This poker phenomenon began her successful poker career online at the age of 15. As Annette_15, Obrestad made her initial online bankroll by winning freeroll tournaments, thus never having to deposit a single cent.
She was so incredibly good that between September 2006 and February 2007, Obrestad won more than $136,000 on Full Tilt, $200,000 on UltimateBet, and $500,000 on PokerStars.
In 2007, Annette_15 was ranked number one by PocketFives. Her highly aggressive and fearless style has translated quite well from online rooms to live play.
While still only 18 years of age—too young to play live poker in the U.S.—Annette Obrestad won the inaugural WSOPE Main Event in London, England, and took home the £1 million prize ($2.01 million at that time), thus setting the record for a single payout to a female poker player.
Prior to this achievement, Obrestad had only cashed in four other live tournaments. Impressively, her prize just edged out Annie Duke’s $2 million first prize at the 2004 Tournament of Champions.
In 2013, Obrestad placed 89th in the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas, winning $71,053.
Obrestad is, obviously, not a timid player. After all, who else would have the guts to play virtually an entire tournament blind?
Here are five hands that demonstrate her incredible ability to play position, read her opponents, make some spectacular lay-downs, and demonstrate some truly impressive aggression.
Obrestad, still a teenager at the time, takes on the legendary Doyle Brunson at the NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship.
In this hand, Obrestad makes a great read on her opponent and impressively—and correctly—lays down her queen-high flush. But ouch!
Here, at the 2006 partypoker European Open, Obrestad makes a great hero call with just ace-high against Nick Slade. Slade, with 7♠6♣, bets 50,000 on the river of a 5♠2♣5♣J♣3♦ board, and Obrestad, with A♦7♦, makes the call for almost her entire stack.
In the following hand from the partypoker Big Game, Obrestad decides to loosen up the button opening range to the fullest. Obrestad opens with 3♣2♠ and gets a call from Neil Channing, who’s on the small blind with A♣4♣.
The flop comes a favorable A♠5♠4♥ for Obrestad, giving her the wheel straight against Channing’s top two pair. Channing leads out for €150, Obrestad raises to €600, and Channing calls.
Channing then check-calls a €1,350 bet from Obrestad on the K♥ turn. Channing leads out for €2,350 on the T♠ river, Obrestad makes the call, and Channing is surprised to find out that Obretad has the wheel:
Come on, you knew this would be her top moment. Here is the PokerNews live reporting account of the final hand between Obrestad and John Tabatabai at the 2007 WSOPE final table, sealing Obrestad’s epic and unprecedented win.
Annette Obrestad is, indeed, a multi-talented young woman with many more years of profitable poker ahead of her. If you’d like to know more, you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Until next time.
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