Doyle Brunson vs Annette Obrestad

On Wednesday September 22, 2008 members of the media received notice and press passes to an event that may be one of the biggest since The Corporation took on Andy Beal (Read the book The Professor, The Banker & The Suicide King by Michael Craig), and defiantly the biggest that the media has ever covered.

The press was alerted that Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson the true road gambler who was one of the men that brought the illegal back ally game from Texas to the then Strip in Las Vegas Nevada, would play against Online Poker Prodigy Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad in a heads up No-Limit Hold’em tournament the day before the start of the 2nd World Series of Poker Europe.

Doyle Brunson who is the name sake behind DoylesRoom.com is regarded as one of the greatest poker players in the history of the game (only Phil Ivey and Chip Reese can be confidently said to be in the same realm). With 10 WSOP titles and two Main Event Titles (1977, 1978) to his credit it is hard to argue against his abilities. Doyle has been a main stay in Bobby’s Room since its inception and a main stay at the biggest games in the world as long as one can remember. Doyle who along with others like Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston Jr.and Sailor Roberts brought Texas Hold’em to Las Vegas is considered for beyond a simple Icon in poker.

Annette Obrestad is considered one of the greatest young tournament poker players in the world; she is a member of Team Betfair.com who is the official sponsor for the WSOPE. Many people in North America don’t really know her persuant to her being under 21, she just recently turned 20. At the age of 18 just a day shy of her 19th birthday she won the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe and took home One Million Pounds Sterling (equivalent at the time to 2.01 Million USD).

She is well known for having supposedly never deposited a penny in an online poker site and yet won millions. She is also well known for having played a 180 man Sit and Go on FullTiltPoker.com and won with looking at her hole cards only on the first hand and a hand played later where she faced an important all-in decision.

The best of three heads up match took place on Thursday September 23, 2008. There is little information on hands that were played just the hands that ended each match. The hand that ended the first match saw Doyle and Annette get it all-in when Doyle flopped top pair against Annette’s up and down straight draw, when the turn brought Annette her straight it left Doyle drawing to an inside straight for the win which by luck came on the river. This left Doyle with a 1-0 lead, in match number two both players again got it all-in on the flop this time Doyle held K-3 on a K-x-x board against Annette’s K-J however Doyle spiked a 3 on the turn and when the river bricked out it left Doyle as the winner.

I’m sure it will be safe to say that this is just the beginning of Doyle vs. Annette as you can expect that when she turns 21 on September 18 , 2009, we will hear a lot from this young poker phenom.