Vanessa Rousso

Vanessa Rousso (born February 5, 1983) is a law student at the University of Miami and a professional poker player. Born in White Plains, New York, Rousso has dual citizenships with the United States and France.

In 2001, Rousso graduated as valedictorian of her high school in Wellington, Florida. She graduated early from Duke University after two and a half years with a major in economics and a minor in political science in December 2003. Prior to entering law school she organized the The Celebrity Players Tour Florida, a celebrity charity golf tournament series.

A poker player since the age of five, Rousso began serious poker tournament play during her summer break from law school. In her first year of playing, Rousso has multiple in the money tournament finishes, including seventh place at the 2006 World Poker Tour championship event and eighth place in the 2006 World Series of Poker $5000 no limit hold ‘em shorthanded event. In September 2006 she won $285,450 at the $5000 no limit hold ‘em event at the Borgata Open. She has made several appearances on the Poker After Dark television program.

She is currently dating Chad Brown.

As of 2007, her tournament winnings exceed $1,200,000.

World Championship of Online Poker

Rousso is sponsored by the PokerStars online poker cardroom under the screenname LadyMaverick as part of their Team PokerStars. She placed originally 3rd in the 2007 World Championship of Online Poker Main Event, an online tournament run by PokerStars, winning $463,940.50, but due to the disqualification of TheV0id, ka$ino the original runner-up was named the winner and 3rd player LadyMaverick (Rousso) was named runner-up winning $700,782.50, a prize among the top online winnings ever.