Annette Poker Player
Not many people can claim their life-long career started when they were only fifteen years old, but that’s exactly how it happened for Annette Obrestad. Having no way to transfer funds to an online poker account, Annette took advantage of freeroll tournaments in order to build up her bankroll to nearly $500,000.
The poker player Annette15 was first discovered by HighstakesDB on the high stakes tables of Full Tilt Poker on. Since then, a total of 63 poker hands have been tracked with Annette15's results. Annette Obrestad is a Norwegian poker player. Obrestad is the youngest person to ever win a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet and in 2007 was considered to be one of the best online multi-table tournament players in the world. Ferguson began playing poker at the age of 10. In college, he honed his skill on IRC poker playing online for play money in chat rooms. In 1994, he began playing in tournaments in California and in 1995, he entered his first World Series of Poker. He is a relatively quiet player who often adopts a characteristic motionless pose to.
Her career may have started in cyberspace, but it’s certainly not limited in that way anymore. Ever since she was old enough to start entering live tournaments, she took every opportunity she could get her hands on. She has accomplished so much in her young career from being the youngest person to win the WSOPE main event to being deemed number two on Norway’s All Time Money List, having earned nearly $4 million from live tournaments alone.
On September 18th, 1988 Annette was born in the small fishing town of Sandes, Norway to a middle-class family. When she was quite young, her father taught her how to play a couple different versions of poker: five card draw and seven card stud. It was because of this reason that her parents weren’t overly shocked when she asked to use their credit card so that she could start playing poker over the internet.
Annette’s mother became very concerned for her daughter. Not only was she afraid Annette would end up spending too much money, but she was worried that Annette would become addicted to gambling as well. Those concerns on top of her mother’s realization that it was illegal for her daughter to play online at such a young age, led her to refuse her daughter’s request.
Annette wanted to respect her mother’s wishes, but she still was passionate about playing poker. So, she continued to play online for free, often times competing in free roll tournaments. It was possible to win a little cash here and there from these tournaments, so she was hoping to build up her bankroll using this method, and that’s exactly what she was able to do. Her username then and her username now remains the same: Annette_15. She chose this username because it was simple, she wanted her name to be known, and because she was only fifteen when her online poker career started.
It took Annette a few years to get on her feet, but once the money started rolling in, she felt like it would never stop. Of course, the kicker was she had to wait until she was eighteen to actually withdraw any of the money from her account. For a while, she watched her bankroll grow and grow, and never told anyone how much she was making. In just a matter of three years, Annette managed to win almost half a million dollars across three of the major online poker sites in the business at that time: Full Tilt Poker, Poker Stars, and UltimateBet.
When she turned eighteen, she dropped out of high school and was ready to start playing poker professionally. Early on, she went down in history as the only poker player who was able to win a $4, 180 contestant sit and go tournament while only peaking at her cards once the entire time. How was she able to this? She covered the part of her computer screen that displayed the hole cards with a post- it note, and used her skills to read the other players as best she could.
The first live tournament she qualified for was UltimateBet’s Aruba Poker Classic where she earned 37th place and brought home over $12,000. She was discouraged by her early live tournament performances, but we realize now she just needed time to adjust to the differences in competing online versus competing in real life. In an interview with Bluff Magazine, Annette gave advice to those who were in that same transition period.
In September, 2007, Annette entered the World Series of Poker Europe main event. Not many people had even heard of her before this event, but afterward, her name would never be forgotten. After the first day of this three-day long competition, Annette was already a lead chip holder. This was quite an accomplishment, considering she was up against top performers like Patrik Antonius, Annie Duke, and Gus Hansen.
The last day of the competition, it came down to Annette and a man named John Tabatabai. Although the final round was intense, it was Annette that would land the first place finish, bringing home over $2 million dollars. She managed to set two records that day! Not only was she the first female to win the WSOPE, but she was also the youngest person in the event’s history to win as well. In fact, it was only a few days before her nineteenth birthday when she won.
A little over a month later she found herself at the European Poker Tour main event that took place in Dublin, Ireland. Annette performed very well in this competition, placing second right behind Reuben Peters. Second place came with a $400,000 cash prize and the bittersweet taste of defeat. She has competed in the EPT several times since then, but has yet to come as close to winning as she did that first time.
Annette wasn’t allowed to start competing in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas until her twenty-first birthday. By the time she was of age, people knew who she was and had high expectations of how she would perform. Although she did cash out at four different events that first year, her fans were disappointed that she had failed to win a WSOP gold bracelet. Winning a bracelet won’t be easy, but Annette is far from ready to give up on her dream of bringing one home.
Even though Annette’s career started online, she’s much more passionate about traveling the world to compete in live tournaments these days. In an interview with Poker Player Magazine, she said,
Annette has had the opportunity to travel to Barcelona, London, Melbourne, and Monte Carlo to name some of the more unique places she has visited.
Annette enjoys raising money for those in need, which is why she often participates in charity poker events. These events take place all over the United States from Las Vegas to Atlantic City. She’s a member of the Charity Series of Poker, along with twenty-six other professionals. They participate in charity poker events to raise money for a variety of different charities including the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Habitat for Humanity, and Three Square Food Bank.
Over the years, Annette has been sponsored by several different online poker rooms including Betfair and Full Tilt Poker. More recently in 2012, she signed a deal with Poker Royalty, who was excited to form this new partnership with her and hopes to take her career to the next level. Within just a few months of sponsoring her, they helped her sign a contract with Lock Poker. She’s now a part of their Pro Elite Team. Annette is still very young and full of so much potential; we anticipate that she will continue to accomplish great things in the world of poker as time goes on.
Annette is known for vocalizing her opinions on social media, and it often times will get her into trouble. Annette and the world-renowned poker player, Doyle Brunson, got into an argument on twitter because of what she said about him in an interview with ESPN. She singled Doyle Brunson out and claimed that his ego is the only reason why he has made it this far. This wasn’t the first time she caused strife by the words that came out of her mouth, and we’re sure it won’t be the last.
Her boisterous attitude is reflected in her aggressive playing style too. Although she looks sweet in appearance, she is not a force to be reckoned with when it comes to poker. She consistently makes bold moves that even the more seasoned players wouldn’t dare to make. Annette’s signature look is to always wear shaded sunglasses to avoid leaking any tells to her competitors, who honestly are probably too afraid to look her in the eyes anyways.
Annette has expressed that she is in no rush to settle down anytime soon. Having a relationship or starting a family is just not in her foreseeable future. However, she also recognizes that her feelings may change over time. Right now she just wants to continue to play poker until she doesn’t enjoy it anymore.
Women are Taking the World of Poker by Storm – Here are 10 of the Best!
Poker is traditionally dominated by men. Things are changing, with many women bringing their skills to the tables – and in many cases surpassing their male counterparts. While we have yet to see a woman win the World Series of Poker Main Event, many commentators feel this is only a matter of time.
This page covers 10 of the top female poker players. Some dominate cash games, while others are big winners on the international tournament circuit. I am sure that many more women can be added to this list – and that even more are working their way through the stakes at this very moment.
List of the best female professional poker players:
Top Female Poker Players #1: Liv Boeree
Liv Boree Net Worth: $4 Million USD
To say that Liv Boeree’s tournament record is impressive would be an understatement. She is the only female to win major events on both the World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour. Liv also has a WSOP bracelet. This was won in the 2017 10k Tag-Team event (along with Russian Pro Igor Kurganov). Liv has more than $3.5 million in poker tournament earnings at the time of writing.
This British poker pro represents PokerStars. Her talents go way beyond poker. Graduating with a degree in Astrophysics, Boeree has a string of TV appearances under her belt. These have included hosting major poker events around the world – as well as non-gambling TV shows. These have included ‘The Mind Control Freaks’ on the Discovery Channel, and even an appearance on the BBC breakfast show.
In addition to her media and poker careers, Liv Boeree started a charity. This is called ‘Raising for Effective Giving’. This charity advises poker celebrities on effective altruism. It has so far donated $6 million to selected charities.
Top Female Poker Players #2: Annie Duke
Annie Duke Net Worth: $9 Million USD
Source: Traderlife.co.uk
Known as the ‘Duchess of Poker’, Annie Duke is an author, business founder and high stakes poker crusher. While her tournament record is formidable, Duke is known for her cash game skills, playing at the very highest levels. Tournament wins include a WSOP bracelet, winning the 2004 WSOP Tournament of Champions and the 2010 National Heads-Up poker championship. For many years Duke was the leading female money winner at the World Series. That record was recently beaten by Vanessa Selbst.
Like many poker pros, Annie Duke has written strategy / instructional books. These include ‘The Middle Zone’ and ‘Decide to Play Great Poker’. She has also founded a charity ‘Ante Up for Africa’, which raises money for charities which work directly with poor African nations. In addition, Annie co-co-founded the ‘Epic Poker League’ – and co-created the Global Poker Index.
She comes from a poker playing family, her brother is the controversial founder of Full Tilt Poker – Howard Lederer.
Top Female Poker Players #3: Kathy Liebert
Kathy Liebert Net Worth: $6.89 Million USD
Compared to many of the top women poker pros – Kathy Liebert has a lower profile these days. This should take nothing from her amazing track records in the highest stakes poker tournaments. Liebert has more than $6 million in live poker tournament cashes. Her record includes a deep run in the World Series Main Event, eventually busting within sight of the final table in 17th place.
Annette Poker Player Female
Born in Tennessee, Kathy has a WSOP bracelet from the 2004 Limit Hold’em Shootout event. This is backed up with an impressive six final tables in the World Poker Tour. She was the winner of the 2002 Party Millions. This tournament alone adding a million dollars to her live tournament winnings.
Annette Poker Player
Top Female Poker Players #4: Annette Obrestadt
Annette Obrestadt Net Worth: $3.9 Million USD
Source: Pokernews.com
Annette Obrestadt was known to millions of people via her online poker nickname ‘Annette_15’. This poker pro is the only one on this list from Norway. She shot to fame in 2007 after winning the World Series of Poker Europe – becoming the youngest player ever to win a coveted gold bracelet at the time.
While she has won many other major tournaments, Annette Obrestadt was best known for her online poker achievements. This included the amazing feat of winning a 180 player Sit N Go without looking at her own hole-cards unless faced with an all-in bet.
Things did not always go smoothly for this player. In 2012 she signed with Lock Poker. This site closed down, taking the bankrolls of many players with it. While Annette was not involved in the shady dealings of Lock Poker, she has kept a noticeably lower profile since then.
Top Female Poker Players: #5 – Maria Ho
Maria Ho Net Worth: $4 Million USD
Maria Ho recently topped an amazing (and ongoing) poker career with an induction into the Poker Hall of Fame. This pro is Taiwanese / America – and has hosting plus broadcasting credits that match her outstanding tournament results.
Over her career, Ho has accumulated almost $3 million in tournament earnings. Her results include an amazing 54 World Series of Poker Cashes. Maria was the last woman standing in the Main Event in 2007, busting out in 38th place. She also has 5 World Poker Tour final tables – and a lot of wins in minor events around the world
While many female broadcasters host televised tournament events, Maria became the first female ‘strategic commentator’ (for season 9 of the Heartland Poker Tour). She also worked for NBC Sports, commentating on the Super High Roller Bowl events.
There is more to this female poker pro than playing cards. Maria Ho has also been involved in pro-level Majong games – and appeared in reality TV shows including The Amazing Race and American Idol.
Top Female Poker Players: #6 – Victoria Coren Mitchell
Victoria Coren Mitchell Net Worth: $10 Million USD
Source: PokerStars.com
The 2nd British female poker pro on this page shares some similarities with Liv Boeree. Both have been involved with online poker room PokerStars. Coren resigned in 2014, after PokerStars opened a casino. She is a regular live poker player at casinos in London and has been a writer in various publications since the age of 14.
Coren was the first woman to win a European Poker Tour event – taking down the televised EPT London in 2006. This was the first of many high-profile tournament successes. Her biggest score was in the 2014 EPT San Remo, taking 1st place for almost half a million Euros. In total Victoria Coren’s lifetime tournament earnings are almost 2.5 million dollars. Her achievements were acknowledged by being indicted into the Female Poker Hall of Fame in 2016.
Like many of the top female poker pros featured here, Victoria Coren has many accomplishments outside of the game. She writes regularly for the UK Observer newspaper, has performed at the Edinburgh Festival and has made numerous TV appearances. These have included hosting many of Europe’s biggest televised tournaments.
Top Female Poker Players: #7 – Jennifer Harman
Jennifer Harman Net Worth: $15 Million USD
A fixture in the highest stakes cash games in Las Vegas, Jennifer Harman also has an excellent track record in poker tournaments. Her first WSOP gold bracelet came in a format she had never played prior to the event. This was the 2-7 Lowball event in 2000. Harman received a 5-minute training session from Howard Lederer before the tournament – and went on to beat seasoned pros. A second WSOP bracelet would follow in 2002 in the Limit Texas Hold’em $5k event.
Like many female poker pros featured on this page, Jennifer Harman has writing credits. These include a prestigious chapter in the 2nd edition of Doyle Brunson’s Super System book. She was inaugurated into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2015.
TV appearances included regular stints on both High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark. She was a member of the pro team at Full Tilt Poker for many years.
Top Female Poker Players: #8 – Vanessa Rousso
Vanessa Rousso Net Worth: $6.5 Million USD
Source:Duke Magazine
Vanessa Rousso is the 3rd female pro on our list with a connection to PokerStars. She was a member of their pro team between 2007 and 2015. Known for her distinctive look – a cap, headphones and designer sunglasses – Rousso is a formidable player in both cash games and tournaments. While she has yet to win a WSOP bracelet, her tournament winnings total more than $3.5 million.
Online poker results include a 2nd place finish in the WCOOP main event in 2007. That score alone was worth more than $700,000.
TV appearances have included Poker After Dark. She also appeared in Big Brother in 2015 – finishing in 3rd place. Rousso also became an ambassador for internet hosting giant GoDaddy – and has written for American Poker Player.
Top Female Poker Players: #9 – Joanne ‘JJ’ Liu
JJ Liu Net Worth: $3.4 Million USD
Known as ‘JJ’, Joanne Liu is as well known for her distinctive hats as her poker results. This pro is now a resident of Palo Alto, CA – though was born and raised in Taiwan. Trained as a computer scientist, and skilled in Chinese gambling games, JJ took the poker world by storm in the early 2000’s. She became the highest placed finished in WPT history after finishing as runner up in the World Poker Tour Bay 101 tournament in 2004. She would parlay this success at the WSOP, making a final table.
JJ was inaugurated into the Women’s Poker hall of fame and has over $1.7 million in tournament cashes. This puts her firmly in the top 10 of female tournament pros – not bad for someone who has never played a hand of poker before coming to the US in her 20’s.
Top Female Poker Players: #10 – Vanessa Selbst
Vanessa Selbst Net Worth: $12 Million USD
Source: PokerStars.com
Vanessa Selbst made the headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2018. She busted out of the Main Event at the World Series running a bluff that many pros considered crazy. This should take nothing from her impressive record at the very top of the game. I suspect if the bluff had worked out, Selbst would have been called a genius!
Selbst is the only woman ever to have held the number one ranking on the Global Poker Index. Her lifetime tournament winnings total a mind-blowing $11.8 million (and counting). She is the 4th woman on our list be involved with PokerStars as part of their team or pros.
Her single biggest score came from the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. She won the high-roller event for a cool $1.4 million. Other achievements include three WSOP bracelets – plus back to back scores on the North American Poker Tour.