Aussie Millions hopes for Obrestad

Poker prodigy Annette Obrestad hopes to "put last year in the past" and ensure a different outcome in final stages of 2010 Aussie Millions to that of the 2009 event

Norwegian born Betfair Poker pro Annette Obrestad is hoping that lightning doesn’t strike twice as she finds herself deep-stacked in the 2010 Aussie Millions for the second year in a row. Exactly a year ago, at the 2009 Aussie Millions, a loose call from Canadian Zach Fellows ended with her finishing 21st in the event. After starting in a strong position as one of the chip leaders in the final pack of 21 players, she pushed all in for approximately 350k over Fellows' raise, as she was holding an ace-ten. Expecting him to fold all but premium cards, it came as a surprise to her when he made the unexpected and rather loose call with just pocket fives. They held, and it culminated in Obrestad running nines into Jacks and bowing out of the game.

So now she hopes to put last year's disaster to rest as she sets her sights on experiencing the feeling of being at the final table. She says of Fellows call, "It was terrible…really frustrating." But she is looking forward to different outcome at this year's event. She says, "I really want to do well here this year and put last year in the past." And her confidence is running high also, as she says of the Aussie Millions event, "I think the structure is just really good. And I've been running good too."

Known as something of a prodigy on the poker circuit, Obrestad was only fifteen years old when she started her on-line poker career and continued to hone her skills on a diet of Texas Hold 'em. She made her initial online bankroll by winning freeroll poker tournaments from which she went on to amass several hundred thousand dollars in winnings. On 17th September 2007, the day before her 19th birthday, she won the inaugural World Series of Poker Main Event. By winning the £1 million first prize she edged the record for a single event payout to a female player, set previously by poker pro Annie Duke. Known on the circuit as an incredibly loose aggressive player, Obrestad has recently tried her hand at Pot-limit Omaha and actually took the $1k PLO prelim in Australia just days before the start of the main event.

She says "I was really excited. I've been playing a lot online and that's usually what I play online these days, so I feel like I've really been improving my game.