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The second annual World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) Main Event will not have a repeat winner.
Annette Obrestad, the Norwegian poker prodigy who stunned the poker world last year when she won the Main Event at the inaugural WSOPE at age 18, will not repeat that achievement this year.
Midway through the 2008 WSOPE Main Event, at the Empire Casino in London, England, she has been knocked out of the competition.
Other top poker pros who made an early exit from the 2008 WSOPE Main Event were Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari, Allen Cunningham, Gus "The Great Dane" Hansen, Carlos Mortensen and Jeff Madsen.
The Main Event is scheduled to conclude on October 2, 2008.
As for Obrestad, now 20 years old, it has not been a good month.
Not only did she flame out quickly defending her title in the Main Event, but last week, in a special, best-two-out-of-three, head-to-head competition with 75-year-old poker legend Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson, she was skunked two games to none.
The earlier part of 2008 didn't go too well either for the former teen poker queen.
She desperately wanted to play in the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas several months ago, but couldn't, because she wasn't old enough.
While the age limit for the WSOPE is just 18, for the WSOP it is 21.
She did show up at the Rio casino in Vegas for the 2008 WSOP as a spectator, though.
And is lucky she didn't get arrested.
Not only is the age limit to compete in the WSOP set at 21, but you must be 21 to even be in a Las Vegas casino, whether you're gambling or just watching.
Obrestad was only 19 at the time.
And athough she will be eligible for the WSOPE again next year, she won't be able to compete at the WSOP until the year 2010.
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Thomas Somach, www.pokerhelper.com
