Big Name Poker Pros Kick Off World Series of Poker Europe

The 2008 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) kicked off Friday with a star-studded showing of some of the world's leading poker players.

Among them:

Chris Ferguson - Also known as "Jesus", given this name because of his trademark long brown hair and beard. He is, however, an atheist. As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceed $7,300,000.

Daniel Negreanu - Perhaps the most famous of all poker players, As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceed $10,300,000. Negreanu was named among Gambling911.com Jenny Woo's 10 Most Sexiest Poker Professionals of 2008.

Phil Ivey - The winner of 5 World Series of Poker bracelets, he crafted his game playing skills amongst his co-workers at a New Brunswick, New Jersey telemarketing firm in the late 1990s. One of his nicknames, "No Home Jerome", stems from the ID card he secured to practice in Atlantic City in his teenage years. His other well-known nickname is the 'Tiger Woods of Poker'. As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceed $9,900,000.

Roland de Wolfe - This aggressive British poker player won first place in the Major Grand Prix de Paris event of the World Poker Tour (WPT)'s fourth season in July 2005, defeating former champion Juha Helppi in the final heads-up battle. In October 2006, De Wolfe won the European Poker Tour (EPT) Dublin event, and the €554,300 first prize. As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceed $4,000,000.

The WSOPE features a much smaller entry pool than its big cousin across the pond (The original World Series of Poker held each year in Las Vegas), thus attracting these big name players.

But it was an online 17-year old female Internet prodigy by the name of Annette "Annette_15" Obrestad who won the first ever World Series of Poker Europe last year and its $1,874,700 prize. Prior to entering that tournament, Annette was considered to be one of the best online multi-table tournament players in the world.

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