Vanessa Rousso

Vanessa Rousso Profile
	Nickname: The Lady Maverick Pokerstars Username: Web: www.pokerstars.com Birthdate: February 5th 1983 Birthplace: White Plains, New York Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada Tournaments Won: 2 WSOP Bracelets: 0 Total Winnings: $891,978

Vanessa Rousso has a dual-nationality that matches her dual lifestyle. Though born in New York, she spent her early years in Paris, in her father’s homeland. She was obviously a bright child, able to read at three years old and with her American mother’s help, bilingual in French and English. When her parents divorced in 1992, Vanessa went with her mother from France to Florida to start up a new life there. She proved to be popular and energetic at school and involved herself in sports, including swimming and lacrosse, as well as improving her mental dexterity as part of the school debate team.

In 2001, she accepted a scholarship to the prestigious Duke University and continued to excel. Somehow she managed to find time to volunteer for various charities and chair committees. Never one to relax, Vanessa used the her spare moments to study game theory and played backgammon, chess and of course, poker online. Despite her busy schedule she got her degree in economics in just two and a half years and aged 21, she went to study law at the University of Miami.

Now Vanessa was legally allowed to gamble in a real bricks and mortar casino, she began to take the opportunity at the local Seminole Hard Rock Casino whenever she could. With a confidence that comes from an-ever increasing bankroll, Rousso entered her first major tournament during her first summer holiday from law school. She managed seventh place in the World Series of Poker circuit event at Harrah’s in New Orleans making her the youngest woman ever to make a WSOP circuit final table. That summer she cashed in the WSOP No Limit Hold’em ladies event and would also win a smaller tournament worth $2,330. Not bad for a summer break.

Due to her university commitments it wasn’t until the following year that she entered another tournament; again, a Harrah’s WSOP circuit event though this time in Atlantic City. The rumour mill tells of how Rousso wore her bathrobe for this tournament though whether this was an attempt to put off the men at the table or because her overfull schedule didn’t allow her time to dress is not known. Whatever the truth of the situation, she managed a fifth place finish. Vanessa was truly bitten by the tournament bug by now and was desperate to enter the Five Star World Poker Classic at Bellagio’s, Las Vegas. She ended up selling shares in herself at $1000 a time to help her fund her $25,000 registration fee but had forgotten she had an important class on the first morning of the event. She went straight to the airport after her lesson and managed to arrive only three hours late and had lost less than five percent of her chip stack in blinds.

She found herself at a table with Liz Lieu and in her first hand was dealt an Ace Queen off-suit. The flop revealed two more queens but when the turn was a Jack, Rousso realised there were plenty of ways she could have lost the hand and only checked. The river was another Queen giving Vanessa quads but she quickly realised that Lieu would just fold unless she tried to give the impression she didn’t have a Queen. Rousso went ‘All in’ hoping Lieu would think she was trying to make a steal and after four minutes of thinking, Lieu called. Vanessa had doubled up in her first hand and it set her in good stead to come seventh and win $263,625.

The following WPT season, she won surpassed that total and took first prize in the Borgata Poker Open, finally proving she was a force to be reckoned with. Later in the year, as part of Team Poker Stars, she entered their World Championship of Poker main event and when she came second her payout was a massive $700,000. And proving that not only can she compete with the best in ‘real’ casinos and online, she’s not phased by the television studio either and won NBC’s ‘Poker After Dark’ crown in early 2008.

Vanessa’s successes are all the more impressive when you take into account the fact that she is still at Law School full-time and has no intention of dropping out. Though she does admit that after she graduates that she’ll give a full time poker career a run for its money before thinking about entering the courtroom. However, one legal partnership that seems to be on the cards is with fellow professional Chad Brown, who she recently got engaged to. Perhaps it’s just as well he’s part of the poker world too because with Rousso’s busy timetable it would be a wonder when she would find time to see him. Outside of poker and law, Vanessa is taking flying lessons and it shouldn’t be long before she can afford her own plane. With all her commitments she probably needs it and maybe she’ll make it on time to tournaments in future.

You can play online poker with Vanessa Rousso at Pokerstars. Check out our Pokerstars Marketing Code for a sign-up bonus of $50 - or you can download Pokerstars here.

Vanessa Rousso Tournament Wins
	Event* Date Position Winnings Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) Poker Pages Ranking Aug 7th 2008 10th $11,065 39th WSOP 2008 Event 52 - WSOP Jun 30th 2008 44th $10,660 39th WSOP 2008 Event 38 - WSOP Pot Limit Hold'em Jun 20th 2008 57th $3,743 EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final Apr 16th 2008 4th $44,823 Harrah's Rincon Poker Tournament WSOP Circuit Event 22 - WSOP Circuit Championship Feb 7th 2008 16th $8,482 Ultimate Poker Challenge UPC Championship Mar 16th 2007 2nd $65,863 4th Borgata Poker Open WPT Event Season 5 / PPT Event 9 Sep 13th 2006 1st $285,450 37th Annual WSOP Event 30 - WSOP Short Handed Jul 20th 2006 8th $61,955 37th Annual WSOP Event 5 - WSOP Short Handed Jun 30th 2006 63rd $4,738 37th Annual WSOP Event 4 - WSOP Limit Hold'em Jun 29th 2006 80th $2,916 Five-Star World Poker Classic WPT Championship Season 4 Championship Apr 24th 2006 7th $263,625 Harrahs Atlantic City Poker Tournament WSOP Circuit Event 5 Mar 25th 2006 20th $1,932 World Poker Challenge WPT Season 4 Event 10 Mar 14th 2006 5th $2,193 Harrah's Atlantic City Poker Tournament WSOP Circuit Event 5 Feb 11th 2006 5th $17,550 36th Annual WSOP Event 26 - WSOP Ladies Jun 26th 2005 45th $1,640 No-Limit Hold'em Summer Series Event 17 Jun 13th 2005 1st $2,330 Harrahs New Orleans Poker Challenge WSOP Circuit Event 1 May 18th 2005 7th $6,465

You can play online poker with Vanessa Rousso at Pokerstars.

See full list of our poker players