Online poker room Lock Poker has made a significant addition to its stable of young pros, adding Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad to the Lock Pro Elite team. Her signing comes just a week after she inked a deal with poker representation agency Poker Royalty, a move which now appears to have led to the Lock Poker relationship.
“Annette is an exceptional person and player. She takes Lock to the next level. She is fierce in her passion, extraordinary in her talent and dedicated beyond most,” said Lock Poker CEO Jennifer Larson in a press release. “Players like Annette are the eyes into the soul of the game. We intend to integrate her into all aspects of the company. Lock has taken the Poker world into a new Era where the player reigns. Partnering with our Pros is the only path to greatness!”
Obrestad had formerly been a pro at Betfair and then moved over to Full Tilt Poker in May 2010.
“I’d heard amazing things about Lock Poker from all my friends and pros who play there, and I was thrilled when I got an offer from them,” said Annette. “Being part of Lock is something I’m really excited about and it will be a great beginning of a new exciting relationship. Lock is the new generation of online poker where player experience drives the company with an incredible Pro team that I can hardly wait to work with.”
Annette Obrestad though only in her early 20’s, has already had a storied career in the world of poker. She began playing online when she was just 15-years old (kids, don’t try this at home), using freeroll winnings to build her bankroll. As her wallet grew, so did the stakes at which she played, and soon she was regarded as one of the most formidable players in online poker. And when we talk about Obrestad’s teenaged online poker feats, let’s not forget the time she won a tournament without ever sneaking a peek at her hole cards.
When she turned 18, she was finally able to play in brick and mortar casinos around the world. Her success in the online game carried over to the live world, as Annette Obrestad became the youngest person ever to win a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet. She did it in style, too, taking down the inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event, good for £1,000,000 (approximately $2,000,000 at the time). While it is technically possible that someone will break her record, it is very unlikely, as she was just shy of her 19th birthday.
All told, Obrestad has won $3,738,569 on the live tournament circuit.
Obrestad is just the third female member of the Lock Pro Elite team, following Leo “Le0xxx” Margets and Melanie “Callisto” Weisner. Other members of the team include Eric “Rizen” Lynch, Chris Moorman, who just finished second in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Berlin High Roller event, and 2012 Irish Open Main Event champ Kevin Vandersmissen.
