Wish to really feel outdated? It’s been almost 20 years since Annette Obrestad gained the World Collection of Poker Europe’s Primary Occasion, turning into the youngest participant to win a bracelet, as activity she achieved solely sooner or later away from turning 19 in 2007.
Labeled a poker prodigy, tales in regards to the younger woman from Norway recognized on-line as “Annette_15” started to flow into earlier than she gained her first and solely WSOP bracelet that occurred to return with a $2 million payday. How she by no means made a deposit when she began taking part in on-line on the age of 15, working freerolls into tens-of-thousands of {dollars} after seeing an advert for poker websites at a bowling alley.
In regards to the time she performed and gained a $4 180-person sit ‘n go by solely her gap playing cards as soon as (she stated coated them with a sticky-note and obtained curious one time), which occurred a couple of months earlier than binking her bracelet. About how she’d keep up all night time taking part in tournaments, profitable them for five-figures when she was an adolescent.
“I had no thought what I used to be doing, but it surely turned out I simply saved profitable,” Obrestad informed the WSOP. “The gamers have been so unhealthy. I ultimately noticed that there have been different video games, and began taking part in a bit little bit of maintain’em.”
And that led her to London, the place her poker fairytale actually took-off. Her win led to a sponsorship from a web based website and two years on the match poker path. Whereas she carried out admirably, the underside line is that she was not essentially cut-out for the highlight.
“I signed a sponsorship take care of (Betfair) and it principally allowed me to go to any stay match that I needed to enter. They paid for my flight, lodge, and my buy-ins. I used to be principally freerolling for 2 or three years, and it was completely insane. I bear in mind checking into these good motels, and I might simply look out the window and shake my head, being like, ‘How am I right here?’ I used to be so grateful, I couldn’t imagine that that was my life; completely insane.
Clearly, it got here with quite a lot of media consideration that I wasn’t anticipating. This was most likely the worst a part of profitable that match, as a result of I used to be a really shy woman again then, and I didn’t wish to have all of these eyes on me. To be thrown within the deep finish and having to do interviews on a regular basis and do all of this stuff I didn’t actually need to do and have folks acknowledge me, come as much as me, and need to speak. Like I stated, I used to be very shy.
It was overwhelming at instances. In fact, quite a lot of good got here out of it, but it surely wasn’t why I obtained into the sport to start with. I didn’t need the celebrity, I simply needed to play poker. I attempted to be pleased about it, but it surely was undoubtedly powerful.”
Break day
In 2018, she determined to stroll away from the sport and concentrate on her well being after an consuming dysfunction swallowed her entire.
“I noticed I used to be not in the correct headspace to play anymore,” Obrestad defined. “I developed an consuming dysfunction fairly near once I stopped taking part in. Folks most likely observed I used to be shedding pounds. I used to be obsessive about meals, health, and counting energy and macros, and my thoughts wasn’t within the sport anymore. I might sit on the poker desk and marvel what I used to be going to eat for dinner.”
“It simply obtained actually unhealthy sooner or later, and I couldn’t focus. I used to be like ‘I must take a break’. I attempted to return again to the sport for a short time after, and my ardour simply wasn’t there anymore.”
And that’s the place her poker journey was left off. Till now.
The comeback
The WSOP and Obrestad introduced that she’s going to make her return to poker motion at WSOP Europe, which begins at present (March 31) and runs till April 12.
“It’s been good to really feel so welcome once more,” Obrestad stated. “I wasn’t positive what it will be wish to get again into poker. I didn’t know if I might nonetheless know methods to play this sport. I’m shocked how many individuals nonetheless acknowledge me and know who I’m once I go sit down on the native $1/$3 sport; it’s been sort of loopy. Everybody’s simply been tremendous good.”
She says she plans on taking part in the €1,000 Girls occasion on April 4, and the €5,000 Primary Occasion with its €5 million assure April 3.
“I’m simply wanting ahead to taking part in. I’m wanting ahead to being again on the felt in an enormous match environment once more. Simply remembering how the environment is, proper earlier than the match begins, with all the stress within the air, and the way excited individuals are,” she stated. “I’m nonetheless rusty, I don’t know the way I’m going to do in these large tournaments. I don’t know the way folks play anymore, however I’m not going to do a bunch of learning main as much as it. I’m simply going to enter it with the data I’ve and hope that’s sufficient.
“I’m simply going to have enjoyable, and never put an excessive amount of strain on myself.”
