PTP Q&A with Annette Obrestad

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One of the more noticeable impacts of online poker has been a massive reduction in the average age of the players at a typical live poker table. There’s arguably no more compelling representative of this youth movement than Annette Obrestad, just shy of 20, who was the subject of one of the top poker stories of 2007 when she blasted through a star-studded field to win the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe Main Event. Annette took a few minutes and let us pick her brain about online poker, the tournament circuit, being a woman in what remains a world dominated by men, and more.

PTP: You’ve had a pretty incredible year. Has it all sunk in yet, or are you still processing everything that’s happened?

AO: I think it has all sunk in at this point, it was very surreal in the beginning but I understand now how huge my win was and how much it meant not just for me, but poker in general.

PTP: How did the deal with BetFair come about, and how’s it working out so far?

AO: To be honest, I had no idea what I got myself into when signing the contract lol… but I’m very happy I did cuz it has exceeded all my expectations and some more. Betfair is a great site to be with and they take care of me extremely well. They are also very flexible and easy to work with. Before signing with BF I didn’t even know who it was. I had never heard of them. Thankfully my manager got in touch with them before the event and they threw an offer at me right away that was too good to turn down.

PTP: How does being (relatively) famous in the online poker community impact how people play against you? How does being a woman impact how people play against you?

AO: At my current stage, I don’t think being a woman makes any difference, because most people treat me like one of the boys at the table. They know I’m capable of the craziest things and they’re not afraid to play back at me anymore. It was more of an advantage in the beginning when most people didn’t know me. At the moment it feels like wherever I go, people just want to outplay me and show me that they won’t be bullied around by a girl… which I guess is understandable, and it has forced me to slow down a little. I do try to keep up my aggression but I’ve toned down the ‘too obvious steals’ because people don’t bite anymore. I have my ways though .

PTP: What’s the single hardest thing about playing poker for a living?

AO: For me its being away from home so much. It’s not like I miss them that much, it’s more just being able to sit down on your own couch in your own living room, watching TV and doing nothing if you’ve had a stressful day, and just relax. Hotel rooms gets kind of boring after a while, and all the airports and flights aren’t exactly fun either. I do love seeing all the different places I go to though and meeting so many great people, so all in all, imp living the dream for most poker players, and it certainly feels like it too!

PTP: Is it hard to separate a personal life from a professional life when you’re playing poker for a living?

AO: Yes, definitely. I don’t see my friends at home at all anymore which is really sad. Maybe couple of times a month and that’s not enough in my opinion. But I’ve met a lot of really nice people through poker and I always have someone to hang out with when I’m traveling.

PTP: What’s your favorite event to play online at the moment?

AO: It’s always been, and will always be the $100r on stars, but I really like the Sunday tournament on Betfair as well and my own tournament on there. They both have really good structures and not so big fields. Suits me perfectly

PTP: How much cash game play do you put in a month?

AO: Hmm… like… not at all…. I don’t play cash unless imp extremely bored and have an hour to kill. Then I might sit at a plo table somewhere. I also play some cash live, but very rarely.

PTP: What’s your view on the impact that the UIGEA has had on poker, both live and online?

AO: Cant comment, don’t know enough about it.

PTP: If someone had $100 and wanted to get better at poker, how would you suggest they use that $100?

AO: I wouldn’t even start playing for money in the beginning… you’d just lose it. Try some play chips or freerolls in the beginning to learn the game. When you’re starting to get a hang of it, play some small one table sng’s, $1s or $3s and then move up when u start winning some. If u don’t care about the money sign up for a $109 tourney and hope to get lucky lol

PTP: How do you keep poker fun? Is it a struggle, or does it come easily?

AO: I always hear so much about people getting burnt out after a couple of years, but for me the game is getting more fun for every day. The better I get, the more I want to play and it just doesn’t seem to stop . Some breaks now and then does wonders if you’re having some bad weeks. I’m so competitive that it’s hard for me to stay away!

Read Annette’s blog at BetFair

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