Esper Bredesen

Espen Uhlen Jørstad was born in May 1988 in Steinkjer, Trøndelag, Norway. As a youngster, he was a fanatic gamer, spending 15 hours a day playing World of Warcraft. He suffered from anxiety and shyness, along with weight issues. At age 18, he dropped out of school and joined the Norwegian Army’s Airforce. After one year, he returned and moved to a bigger city, where he started playing poker more often but without seriousness. He later returned to school and earned a master’s degree in brewing science from the University of Copenhagen. After a short stint as a process technician at a brewery, he decided to pursue poker full-time.

Jørstad started playing poker early, primarily cash games online under the nicknames “Hymn2ninkasi” on PokerStars and “COVFEFE-19” on online poker. He began streaming on Twitch in 2016 as a sponsored Unibet poker pro, later rebranding to the group channel overbetexpress. In December 2017, he finished 8th in the online poker Norwegian Championships in Prague for €20,000. He moved to Malta and later to London to further his poker career.

Before 2022, Jørstad had cashed in WSOP online events, including a sixth-place finish in the 2021 WSOP Online Main Event for $603,058. In 2022, he won his first WSOP bracelet in Event #55: $1,000 Tag Team No-Limit Hold’em with Patrick Leonard, earning $74,042 each. Later that summer, he won the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event, defeating Adrian Attenborough heads-up. On the 19th hand, Jørstad shoved all-in on a board of 4♥ 2♥ 2♣ 8♠ Q♣ with Q♦ 2♠ for a full house, while Attenborough held J♣ 4♠. The victory earned him $10,000,000 and made him the first Norwegian Main Event champion. In total, he has two WSOP bracelets and four final tables.

Jørstad is known as a tight-aggressive player, disciplined and selective. As a former cash game specialist, he brings solid fundamentals and patience to tournaments. He often uses his experience in high-stakes online cash games to exploit tournament spots, relying on careful bankroll management and strategic aggression.

As of June 2025, Jørstad's total live tournament earnings exceed $18,852,000, placing him first on Norway's all-time money list. He is recognized not only for his WSOP triumphs but also for his influence as a Twitch streamer and Unibet ambassador. His story of overcoming personal struggles to achieve poker's biggest prize inspires many aspiring players.