The 2026 World Sequence of Poker Europe is lower than week away, and two gamers are definitely making ready themselves — in several methods.
Whereas Martin Kabrhel bagged his sixth WSOP Circuit ring on the Horseshoe, former WSOP Europe Important Occasion champion Annette Obrestad has introduced she will likely be returning to stay poker forward of the competition to play the Girls and Important Occasion.
Obrestad Calls WSOP Comeback “Insane”
The WSOPE started in 2007 on the top of the poker increase, with the WSOP partnering with Betfair to stage the primary occasion in London.
The competition featured three bracelet occasions, together with the £10,000 WSOP Europe Important Occasion, which was gained by 18-year-old Annette Obrestad, who defeated a subject of 362 gamers to win £1,000,000.
She’s now returning to the competition she gained 19 years in the past, and in an unique interview with Poker.org, Obrestad known as her comeback “insane” as she prepares to return to the stay poker felt.
“I by no means in one million years thought that I might play in such an enormous event once more,” she mentioned. “Perhaps that is the comeback of all time, proper?”
“I simply need to get into the behavior of enjoying lots and continually desirous about the sport, which is not one thing I’ve executed for 9 years.”
“I am positive I am going to make a variety of new associates whereas I am there, and doubtless reconnect with a number of the individuals I used to hang around with”
Her WSOP Europe victory noticed her shoot to prominence, enjoying repeatedly on televized poker reveals such because the Premier League, Late Evening Poker and Poker After Darkish.
Whereas she did have additional success, together with a runner-up end at EPT Dublin in October 2007, and an Aussie Hundreds of thousands ring in 2010, Obrestad moved away from poker and has notched only one stay poker money since 2018.
Throughout that point she ran a profitable make-up YouTube channel and competed in Scrabble tournaments, the place she has a match report of 248-206-2 in accordance with WordGamePlayers.org.
Annette Obrestad Data
Youngest WSOP Bracelet winnerOnly feminine WSOP Important Occasion winnerSecond-highest feminine money in poker historySixth in Norwegian all-time cash checklist
She defined that she’s not too long ago been enjoying largely money video games as a result of a busy schedule that also features a Scrabble membership two days every week.
“I like the liberty of money as a result of I can decide my very own schedule and never should at all times rise up so early. Simply see what I really feel like on the day, and that is what I find yourself doing. I am unable to at all times play these multiday occasions due to [other] priorities.
“I have been in that [Scrabble] membership for 5 years. We play on a regular basis, and so they’re my household! I do not need to lower into my Scrabble time.”
She additionally mentioned that she was trying ahead to enjoying over the summer season, however will likely be heading to Prague earlier than then for the WSOP Europe competition.
“I am positive I am going to make a variety of new associates whereas I am there, and doubtless reconnect with a number of the individuals I used to hang around with.”
“I’ve nothing to lose. I am simply going there to have a superb time. I am not anticipating to win. If I do nicely, that is nice. If not, then [at least] I attempted.”
Extra WSOP Glory for Kabrhel
The WSOPE is perhaps imminent, however one participant has already returned to profitable methods on the dwelling of the WSOP in Las Vegas. Kabrhel, who gained his fifth WSOP bracelet on the venue final yr, took down the $600 Monster Stack on the Horsehoe for a sixth WSOP Circuit ring.
Based on stories, Kabrhel entered the Turbo flight of Occasion #5: $600 Monster Stack and bagged the chip lead. With 62 gamers advancing to Day 2, Kabrhel took it down for simply over $52,000.
Kabrhel was one of many largest poker tales of 2025, stirring up controversy seemingly wherever he went. Regardless of incessant speaking and repeated tanking, Kabrhel’s expertise shone by way of ultimately as he gained his fourth and fifth WSOP bracelets.
Nevertheless, it had been seven years since Kabrhel final gained a WSOP Circuit ring, when he gained the WSOP Worldwide Circuit Rozvadov €1,700 Important Occasion for over €200,000.
The WSOP Circuit competition runs from 19-30 March, with 18 ring occasions. The $1,700 buy-in Important Occasion, which comes with a $500,000 assure, will get underway on Thursday, March 26. The Circuit will return to the Horseshoe Las Vegas later within the yr, from July 14 by way of July 25, 2026, overlapping with the ultimate days of the 100-event WSOP bracelet competition.
All of Kabrhel’s 5 earlier WSOP Circuit rings had been gained at King’s Resort & On line casino, Rozvadov.
Nov-16Event #8: $€8,888 Tremendous Excessive Curler€ 84,199
Apr-17Event #14: $660 6-Handed€ 17,556
Sep-18Event #1: €299 Opener€ 53,938
Oct-18Event #14: €550 NLHE/Omaha Combined€ 12,932
Mar-19Event #13: €1,700 Important Occasion€ 200,350
Mar-26Event #5: $600 Monster Stack$52,000
The subsequent WSOP Circuit competition will get underway in early April at Grand Victoria On line casino, Illinois with seven WSOPC festivals between now and the WSOP.
Upcoming WSOP Circuit Festivals
April 2 – April 13Grand Victoria On line casino (Elgin, Illinois)
April 16 – April 27Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe (Stateline, Nevada)
April 16 – April 27Horseshoe Tunica (Tunica, Mississippi)
April 23 – Could 4Texas Card Home (Austin, Texas)
Could 7 – Could 18Commerce On line casino (Commerce, California)
Could 7 – Could 18Harrah’s Cherokee (Cherokee, North Carolina)
Could 14 – Could 25Caesars New Orleans (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Will Shillibier
Managing Editor
He graduated from the College of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He additionally holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports activities Journalism.
