WSOP

Don’t let her good looks and sweet smile fool you, Vanessa Rousso knows how to be aggressive when she’s in a No Limit Holdem game. Beauty, brains, and poker smarts all wrapped up in a package, Rousso is a French-American is a law student at the University of Miami and a professional poker player. She was born in White Plains, New York but spent most of her childhood in Paris, France until her parents divorced when she was nine. After the split, she and her mother moved back to the United States.

Rousso has always been an active student even back in her grade school days, participating in many extracurricular activities while keeping focus on her academic pursuits as well. She played basketball, softball, and lacross. She was also a member of the debate team, graduating valedictorian with a full scholarship grant to come study at Duke University. At Duke, she majored in Economics and took a minor in Political Science, all while juggling several extracurricular activities. In 2004, she graduated cum laude and entered law school.

Even while law school is keeping her busy, Rousso still finds time to play more live Poker and has started to cash in various circuit events. The year 2006 was her breakout year as she made the final table at the Five-Star World Poker Classics, earning her $263,625. Soon after, she signed a sponsorship deal with PokerStars.com and then had a streak of cashes before eventually winning a preliminary event at the Borgata Poker Open in September of that year where she took hom $285,450. Shortly after, she started dating fellow poker pro Chad Brown. The two are currently engaged are in the middle of making wedding plans.

After her fantastic year in 2004, Rousso went out of the Poker scene for a while. She had a 2nd place finish in a televised UPC event and other live cashes, which gave her an earning of about $90,000.

PokerStars.com sponsors the annual World Championships of Online Poker and many top pros will usually come out to take a shot at the big prize pools and online bracelets. Vanessa Rousso went on to play at the Main Event of the WCOOP where she achieved her biggest poker score to date. She made the final table, finishing 3rd for $463,940.50. Later on, however, it was discovered that the winner had violated the rules and was thus disqualified. Rousso went up a notch in the standings and her payout became $700,782.50.

Her strong finish at the WCOOP kick started Rousso’s amazing year of poker in 2008. She has had eight cashes so far this year and has made a final table at the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final along with her first cash in the WSOP Main Event.

Vanessa Rousso’s total poker earnings reach up to a million dollars from live tournament wins. Although mainly known as a No Limit Holdem player, she has already started to branch out with much success to other variants of poker. It wouldn’t be long before we see this girl taking down a major poker title. Who knows, her first bracelet might just be around the corner.