Annette Obrestad - The Poker Prodigy Who Conquered the World Series

Author: Tadas Peckaitis

This is the story of Annette Obrestad: her youthful brilliance, but above all, her fearless approach to the poker table that has commanded the fascination of poker players from almost every part of the globe.

Born in Norway, this young lady rose to prominence almost like a poker prodigy, earning historic feats at just 18 years old.

Obrestad became the youngest player to win a World Series of Poker bracelet in 2007, impressively pulling off the feat at the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event for a stunning £1,000,000.

Beyond poker, Annette expanded into the YouTube world with her channel, Annette's Makeup Corner. Her passion led her to share makeup tutorials and reviews of various products online, especially those used on the eyes.

Her competitive spirit also led her to Scrabble tournaments as early as 2022, and she is already among the top 100 players in North America.

Full Name

Annette Obrestad

Net Worth

$3 million

Source of Wealth

Professional poker player, YouTuber

Famous for

The youngest player to win a WSOP bracelet

Born

18 September, 1988, Norway

With Annette Obrestad net worth and accomplishments spanning multiple arenas, she remains a famous gambler and an influential figure for poker enthusiasts.

Annette Obrestad Highlights

Highlights

• At 18, she became the youngest WSOP winner after Europe Main Event 2007 finale
• She is the first WSOP Europe Main Event Champion
• The first woman to win a WSOP Main Event
• Started at 15, building a bankroll from freerolls and won $800,000
• Won a 180-player online tournament without looking at her cards

Upbringing and Early Life of Annette Obrestad

Annette Obrestad was born on September 18, 1988, in the quaint town of Sandnes, Norway.

Her parents divorced when she was just four, but she remembers her childhood as happy and complete, with a close relation to her father, whom she visited regularly.

Her early years were marked by a natural affinity for competition, sparked by her father's love of card games. He taught Annette stud poker when she was barely old enough to write, and before long, family poker nights became the stage on which young Annette always emerged champion.

When she turned 15, her fascination with poker led her to request a credit card from her mother for an online account.

When her mother refused, undeterred, the following year, Annette independently joined a freeroll tournament where she turned the $9 win into a six-figure bankroll-all before her 18th birthday.

The Fearless Prodigy Who Conquered Poker

Annette Obrestad started her poker career online at the tender age of 15 under the now-famous handle Annette_15.

She had no deposit and developed her bankroll by winning pure free roll tournaments, showing natural ability and resolve.

Her fast-tracked rise encouraged Annette to make the bold decision to quit school and focus more on poker. Annette’s fearless, aggressive style quickly propelled her to stardom and put her in the view of the poker community.

In 2006, she competed in the UltimateBet Aruba Poker Classic $5,000 Championship Event and finished in solid 37th place, earning a payday of $12,415. Her hot streak did not stop there, as she went on to win over $800,000 on Full Tilt, UltimateBet, and PokerStars from late 2006 until the beginning of 2007.

In 2007, Annette was ranked first on PocketFives, a ranking that propelled her into the elite echelon of online poker players.

One of her most astonishing achievements was winning a 180-player online sit-and-go in July 2007 without looking at her cards once; she just read her opponents' behavior.

Annette Obrestad Becomes the Youngest WSOP Champion

On September 17, 2007, at the age of only 18, Norwegian poker pro Annette Obrestad set a poker record when she won the first World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) Main Event at The Empire Casino in London.

The unprecedented win, one day shy of her 19th birthday, made her the youngest player to capture a WSOP bracelet, a recognition she still holds today.

Her victory launched Obrestad into the worldwide poker limelight and created several ground-breaking firsts: the first-ever WSOPE Main Event champion, the first woman to capture a bracelet in Europe, and the youngest main event winner, smashing the record set by Phil Hellmuth by more than five years.

Outlasting 361 runners,, Obrestad won the £1 million top prize, which at the time was approximately $2.01 million. This set a new standard as the largest single-event payout earned by a female player, beating the previous record of $2 million at the 2004 WSOP Tournament of Champions by Annie Duke.

But for most people, it was Annette’s fearless style and aggressive playing on shows like PartyPoker Premier League and Late Night Poker that captured audiences.

Following this monumental win, Obrestad was the girl everyone wanted in their corner, signing with some of the top poker brands and traveling the world to compete.

Chasing Titles and Breaking Records in Poker

She was runner-up in the EPT Dublin Main Event in November 2007 for an incredible $416,920, missing out on her second major title.

Famed for her fearless and strategic game, she continued to move forward and nailed some key finishes across several prestigious events.

In 2010, Obrestad finished seventh in the Aussie Millions Main Event, earning $156,155. She concluded the year by taking down the EPT London No-Limit Hold'em Heads-Up event and won a prize of $187,788 to add to her ever-growing list of earnings.

She came awfully close to adding to that total in the 2011 Wynn Classic Main Event, where she finished second for $215,922. Mixed in with her online results, these live scores have made Annette Obrestad one of the more successful poker players of her generation.

Annette Obrestad’s Life Beyond Poker

Around 2012, Annette Obrestad claimed to have felt her passion for poker was gone. She admitted she had lost focus on studying and practicing relentlessly, which helped her stay on top of the game. And over time, she did feel her edge slip away.

Despite her phenomenal initial success, she felt returns from professional poker were no longer worth the time and energy she put into the game.

As she transitioned away from poker, other areas of interest, such as fitness and nutrition, started to develop; she had high aspirations regarding her health, backed by her husband. By 2014, she had lost 45 pounds and was intent on leading a very disciplined, health-oriented way of life.

No sooner did Annette embrace this new path, however, than she began facing unforeseen health setbacks. The first in a series of long-term injuries was a painful hamstring issue.

After months of testing, doctors were unable to determine the cause of her pain, which gradually worked its way up into her arm.

Trying to pursue a career as a personal trainer during this time proved quite a difficult time due to struggles with chronic pain. Although she had wanted to at first create a new life for herself in fitness, such setbacks ultimately put constraints on her choices and made her reconsider the future.

"I didn’t know how to handle the media, or the attention that I was getting at the time I never chose to ‘become famous’. It’s not what I signed up for when I started playing poker ya know?"

Annette Obrestad

Annette Obrestad Net Worth and Winnings

Determining Annette Obrestad’s net worth isn’t straightforward, as is the case for many professional poker players. While her live tournament earnings total an impressive $3,942,233—largely thanks to her record-breaking win at the WSOP Europe for $2,013,733—this doesn’t account for all the variables.

Cash games, buy-ins, and swaps often go unrecorded, making it difficult to estimate exact figures. Beyond the tables, Obrestad also secured poker sponsorship deals after her major win, adding significantly to her income.

In her early online poker career, she earned six figures, further contributing to her overall wealth. Today, she has diversified her income as a successful YouTube content creator with Annette’s Makeup Corner, which has accumulated over six million views.

Combining Annette’s poker earnings and content creation income, Annette Obrestad’s net worth is estimated to be around $3 million, reflecting her wide-ranging success both on and off the felt.

Where Is Annette Obrestad Today?

Since retiring from poker, Annette Obrestad has found a new career least expected as a YouTube beauty influencer. She runs the channel Annette's Makeup Corner, where she posts makeup tutorials and product reviews, which have built a growing following.

With more than 48,000 subscribers, over 1,000 videos posted, and 6.8 million views, Annette's channel speaks volumes about her will and newfound innovation.

She built this beauty brand from scratch and never leaned on her poker fame, even though poker enthusiasts do stop by her channel from time to time and leave messages of encouragement.

Her videos, particularly the eyeshadow tutorials, found quite an eager audience; this provided a new platform for her fans, old and new, to connect.

Other than makeup, Annette has taken up another competitive pursuit: Scrabble. She took Scrabble to North American tournament levels in 2022 and quickly began moving up the ranks with her customary drive.

In a recent major event, she made an exciting run to the final rounds and produced an impressive fourth-place finish, along with a $750 cash prize. Although she came short in a close final game, the rapid rise in Scrabbledom has raised eyebrows and earned her respect as one heck of a player.