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Location:
Las Vegas, Nevada
Total Winnings:
$2,621,361
Titles:
EPT Grand Final €25K High Roller 2009
Vanessa Ashley Rousso (27) is a French American law student at the University of Miami and ranks in the top five women in poker history in terms of all-time money winnings as professional poker player.
Known by her Pokerstars online screen name Lady Maverick, Vanessa Rousso has finished in the money in numerous live poker events and had earned over $2,500,000 in career earnings. Her first win in a professional event came on June 13, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada during the No-Limit Hold'em Summer Series In a head-to-head single-elimination 2009 National Heads-Up Poker Championship tournament, Rousso made it to the finals of the defeating players Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Paul Wasicka, Daniel Negreanu and Bertrand Grospellier only to be pitted to the post by Huck Seed.
She has been a pro-gambling activist on both the national and state level and one of the game's foremost sex symbols. Read our Vanessa Rousso Interview below to get to know her better.
What made you start playing poker and who first taught you?
Well I always played games, even in my earliest youth. But mostly, I started playing poker during law school in the Indian casinos in florida. Then I had enough money to start playing some bigger tournaments and soon enough I decided to play in the 25K WPT championship at the Bellagio. I sold shares in myself for a portion of the buy-in to that event (since it was such a large buy-in at the time for my bankroll). My timing was right, and I got 7th place in that event for $265K, and that’s when my career really jumpstarted. After that I took poker very seriously and transitioned into a full time professional.
How did the Name “Lady Maverick” come about?
My dad actually gave me that nickname. After I told him the story about how I rushed from my last law school exam and got directly on a flight for Vegas for the WPT 25K in 2006. Of course, I went on to finish 7th in that event and my dad thought it was such a great story that reminded him of the movie “maverick”. He said I was like a lady maverick….
You have outstanding academic achievements. Playing poker is not the most obvious of choices, how supportive are your friends and family of your career choice?
Initially my mom (who is the main influence on my life) was pretty skeptical about my decision to play poker professionally. Eventually though she saw that my approach to poker was methodical and not like a gambler. Also, when the endorsements started happening, people could understand more about why I made the decision to do this instead of becoming a lawyer.
When did you know you wanted to play poker professionally and that you had the ability to do it?
I was griding the low buy in sit-n-gos when I was new to the game. Never really went broke. I worked in a movie rental store, and I learned that I didn’t like being an employee! So then I moved on to playing in some bigger Multi table tournaments and those really started boosting my bankroll a lot by making final tables. After the deep run in the 25K at the Bellagio, that was pretty much the turning point for me.
Does playing poker feel like work or do you still enjoy the buzz?
It has definitely gone through phases for me. Really, the bottom line is that I need to keep a balance in my life. When I start playing too much poker, It feels more like work and that’s when my play can deteriorate a little bit. There is an even ground of playing intensely yet taking breaks that allow me to refocus.
What is your favourite poker variation and why?
Well right now it’s still NLHE, because that’s what I am best in. But I am learning the other games and they are a lot of fun.
Do you feel most comfortable in cash games, SNGs or MTTs?
Definitely MTT’s, simply because thats where most of my experience is.
As a self confessed adrenalin junkie how do you keep that in check whilst playing in long tournaments?
Haha, well that is definitely a good point. However, tournaments reward patience greatly, so I just have to remind myself that always while playing a tournament. Its good to open up and play pots, but you cannot be playing 50% of pots lol.
What tips can you give players who want to improve their Heads up performance?
Practice, play heads up sngs, heads up cash games, and keep doing it. Watch videos and read articles.
Has televised poker become more performance driven now with players showboating to the camera’s to achieve poker celebrity status?
Maybe a little bit, but when someone is obviously showboating with frequency, they usually get reprimanded pretty quickly and then they stop it!
How do you train for a Major tournament?
At this point, for me, the most important thing coming into a tournament is being rested and feeling healthy. I dont really care about warming up by playing poker, but going to the gym, getting plenty of sleep, and eating healthy foods is what I really focus on for big tournaments.
What event would you most like to win and why?
The WSOP main event, just because it is still the most coveted tournament in the world, by far.
How much time do you spend analysing hand histories and potential leaks in your game?
A fair amount, usually I will discuss big hands with players I respect and see if they have things to point out that I had not taken into account in my decision making process.
Do you think as poker becomes more main stream and lucrative we will see more analytical players rather than mavericks?
Well the beauty of the game is that it rewards craziness in the short term, but not so much in the long run. There will always be maniacs that win tournaments, but the consistent players will the ones who make a name for themselves.
With the percentage of female poker players set to reach about 33% by 2011 do you think there should be ladies only tournaments or do you agree that they legitimise the theory that women are weaker players and so can’t compete in a mixed gender field?
I don’t have any problem with ladies only events. The bottom line is that Ladies events attract MANY women who would not play otherwise, so in that sense it is overwhelmingly good for the game.
Do you think women in the world of poker have a responsibility to present more than a “poker babe” image if they are to be taken more seriously, or is it part of the deal?
Not really, nobody has a responsibility to do anything other than what they are individually motivated to do. Some people care about looking great when they play, some care only about being comfortable, some care only about winning, everyone has their own motivations for doing what they do.
How did PokerStars approach you to be in their team?
I began speaking with them at the 25K Bellagio event in 2006. My manager Brent Sibley was there with me all 6 days of that tournament, and he was speaking with someone at Pokerstars everyday while they watched me play. After that awesome tournament, we spoke for a few months and then came to an agreement.
What other career opportunities have presented themselves due to your success as a poker player?
Well, a lot of things actually, and I am very grateful for all of them. Last year I did a TV show with Ryan Seacrest, which was so much fun. I’ve also built an iphone application, love teaching my poker boot camps, and now I am working on some cool new projects that will be announced soon. I always like to have a million different things in the mix, so you can always count on me for lots of fun projects.
Poker tournaments are played all over the world, where is the best place you have been and why?
Too hard to pick a favorite single place.
Who are your poker role models?
Phil Ivey, just so professional in his approach to the game and he is just so good all around.
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