Kabhrel in Red Hot Form as Obrestad WSOP Return Confirmed
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The 2026 World Series of Poker Europe is less than week away, and two players are certainly preparing themselves — in different ways.
While Martin Kabrhel bagged his sixth WSOP Circuit ring at the Horseshoe, former WSOP Europe Main Event champion Annette Obrestad has announced she will be returning to live poker ahead of the festival to play the Ladies and Main Event.
Obrestad Calls WSOP Comeback "Insane"
The WSOPE began in 2007 at the height of the poker boom, with the WSOP partnering with Betfair to stage the first event in London.
The festival featured three bracelet events, including the £10,000 WSOP Europe Main Event, which was won by 18-year-old Annette Obrestad, who defeated a field of 362 players to win £1,000,000.
She's now returning to the festival she won 19 years ago, and in an exclusive interview with Poker.org, Obrestad called her comeback "insane" as she prepares to return to the live poker felt.
"I never in a million years thought that I would play in such a big tournament again," she said. "Maybe this is the comeback of all time, right?”
"I just want to get into the habit of playing a lot and constantly thinking about the game, which isn't something I've done for nine years."
"I'm sure I'll make a lot of new friends while I'm there, and probably reconnect with some of the people I used to hang out with"
Her WSOP Europe victory saw her shoot to prominence, playing regularly on televized poker shows such as the Premier League, Late Night Poker and Poker After Dark.
While she did have further success, including a runner-up finish at EPT Dublin in October 2007, and an Aussie Millions ring in 2010, Obrestad moved away from poker and has notched just one live poker cash since 2018.
During that time she ran a successful make-up YouTube channel and competed in Scrabble tournaments, where she has a match record of 248-206-2 according to WordGamePlayers.org.
Annette Obrestad Records
- Youngest WSOP Bracelet winner
- Only female WSOP Main Event winner
- Second-highest female cash in poker history
- Sixth in Norwegian all-time money list
She explained that she's recently been playing mostly cash games due to a busy schedule that still includes a Scrabble club two days a week.
"I like the freedom of cash because I can pick my own schedule and not have to always get up so early. Just see what I feel like on the day, and that's what I end up doing. I can't always play these multiday events because of [other] priorities.
"I've been in that [Scrabble] club for five years. We play all the time, and they're my family! I don't want to cut into my Scrabble time."
She also said that she was looking forward to playing over the summer, but will be heading to Prague before then for the WSOP Europe festival.
"I'm sure I'll make a lot of new friends while I'm there, and probably reconnect with some of the people I used to hang out with."
"I have nothing to lose. I'm just going there to have a good time. I'm not expecting to win. If I do well, that's great. If not, then [at least] I tried."
More WSOP Glory for Kabrhel
The WSOPE might be imminent, but one player has already returned to winning ways at the home of the WSOP in Las Vegas. Kabrhel, who won his fifth WSOP bracelet at the venue last year, took down the $600 Monster Stack at the Horsehoe for a sixth WSOP Circuit ring.
According to reports, Kabrhel entered the Turbo flight of Event #5: $600 Monster Stack and bagged the chip lead. With 62 players advancing to Day 2, Kabrhel took it down for just over $52,000.
Kabrhel was one of the biggest poker stories of 2025, stirring up controversy seemingly wherever he went. Despite incessant talking and repeated tanking, Kabrhel's talent shone through in the end as he won his fourth and fifth WSOP bracelets.
However, it had been seven years since Kabrhel last won a WSOP Circuit ring, when he won the WSOP International Circuit Rozvadov €1,700 Main Event for over €200,000.
The WSOP Circuit festival runs from 19-30 March, with 18 ring events. The $1,700 buy-in Main Event, which comes with a $500,000 guarantee, gets underway on Thursday, March 26. The Circuit will return to the Horseshoe Las Vegas later in the year, from July 14 through July 25, 2026, overlapping with the final days of the 100-event WSOP bracelet festival.
All of Kabrhel's five previous WSOP Circuit rings were won at King's Resort & Casino, Rozvadov.
| Date | Event | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Nov-16 | Event #8: $€8,888 Super High Roller | € 84,199 |
| Apr-17 | Event #14: $660 6-Handed | € 17,556 |
| Sep-18 | Event #1: €299 Opener | € 53,938 |
| Oct-18 | Event #14: €550 NLHE/Omaha Mixed | € 12,932 |
| Mar-19 | Event #13: €1,700 Main Event | € 200,350 |
| Mar-26 | Event #5: $600 Monster Stack | $52,000 |
The next WSOP Circuit festival gets underway in early April at Grand Victoria Casino, Illinois with seven WSOPC festivals between now and the WSOP.
Upcoming WSOP Circuit Festivals
| Date | Tournament Location |
|---|---|
| April 2 - April 13 | Grand Victoria Casino (Elgin, Illinois) |
| April 16 - April 27 | Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe (Stateline, Nevada) |
| April 16 - April 27 | Horseshoe Tunica (Tunica, Mississippi) |
| April 23 - May 4 | Texas Card House (Austin, Texas) |
| May 7 - May 18 | Commerce Casino (Commerce, California) |
| May 7 - May 18 | Harrah’s Cherokee (Cherokee, North Carolina) |
| May 14 - May 25 | Caesars New Orleans (New Orleans, Louisiana) |
