Shelf stacker wins major Aussie event

Author: Simon Dexter

Annette Obrestad is not the only teenager making waves in the poker world; with news this month that another 19-year-old has taken down a major tournament.

While Annette has been playing the game since the age of 15, the latest winner Daniel Booth only took up the game seriously five months ago.

So it was a major surprise when the South African-born youngster landed the Adelaide Hold’em Championship, beating many top names including Australian poker legend Joe Hachem.

What makes the result even more remarkable is the Booth is a part-time shelf stacker in his local supermarket!

“I never dreamed I would win this tournament, especially since I was up against so many of the world’s best,” he said.

“I’ve only recently started playing poker and taking it seriously since the poker league started in Adelaide pubs and hotels in June of this year.”

Hachem, who rose to prominence after landing the 2005 WSOP* Tournament and has accumulated more the $7 million over the course of his poker career was knocked out in the early stages but stuck around to present the near $100,000 purse to Booth.

“It’s fantastic that such a young man who is playing his first live
poker tournament

for cash triumphs,” he said.

Tournament director Brock Gledhill told reporters that his success had nothing to do with luck. “He just dominated. There were players there with phenomenal experience,” he said.

It was down to earth with a bump for Daniel after his success as he was due to start a double shift back in the local supermarket the very next day with the winner claiming it had taken him a long time to earn the respect to be given the chance to work that double shift.

From stacking poker chips one day to stacking oven chips the next.

* “World Series of Poker®” is a registered trademark of Harrah’s, and no license, affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement, is claimed, or should be inferred from the use of this trademark here. Littlewoods Gaming is not affiliated, licensed, by, or otherwise affiliated with Harrah’s, in any way.

Tags: play poker, poker, Poker Tournaments, WSOP

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 22nd, 2007 at 3:55 pm and is filed under News & Promotions Blog, Poker News.