Eighteen-Year-Old Norwegian Female Wins $2 Million Poker Prize

Annette Obrestad, an 18-year-old Norwegian, won the 1 million-pound ($2.01 million) first prize at the World Series of Poker Europe in London's Leicester Square to become the youngest winner in series history.

She sealed her victory when her three sevens beat 22-year- old Briton John Tabatabai's two pairs. The 5-foot Obrestad already headed the online poker rankings after winning a $500,000 tournament last month, Poker Magazine reported, and is too young to compete in the U.S., where the minimum age is 21.

``I never expected to win,'' said Obrestad, who turns 19 this week, in a statement distributed by PR Newswire after her victory in the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event. ``I'm speechless.''

Obrestad, better known in poker circles by her online alias Annette_15, edged the record for a single-event payout to a female player set by poker pro Annie Duke when she won $2 million at the 2004 Tournament of Champions.

Online poker news service pokeronamac.com said Obrestad once won a tournament without looking at her cards by just focusing on reading other players. After her win, Obrestad agreed to an endorsement contract with event sponsor Betfair.com that guarantees her a place on the tournament circuit.

Competitors in London this week were vying for the first three World Series of Poker bracelets awarded outside the U.S. Matthew McCullough was the highest-placed American yesterday, finishing third and collecting 381,910 pounds.

An estimated 80 million people play poker regularly, making it the world's most popular game. The online gambling industry is worth as much as $12 billion annually, Forbes.com reported.

News Added: 17 September, 2007

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