Vanessa Ashley Rousso[1] (born February 5, 1983) is an American professional poker player, attorney,[2] DJ,[3] and television personality.

As of September 2021[update], having not cashed at a tournament since 2017, Rousso still ranks among the top ten women in poker history in terms of all-time money winnings.

[10] She has appeared on television in several cash or charity poker competitions, and finished in third place as a contestant on the 2015 season of Big Brother.

[16] Rousso has two younger sisters: Tiffany, a high-school teacher and contestant on the 18th season of American Big Brother,[17] and Leticia, an optometrist.

However, because she considers both to be fairly objective static games, she began to prefer poker, which incorporated human psychology that allows for inferior hands to win.

[13] 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.

[2] Rousso did not initially finish law school, dropping out to pursue her burgeoning poker career instead.

[24] Her nickname was given to her by a relative when she sold shares of herself to enter a $25,000 buy-in event in a manner reminiscent of the eponymous hero of the 1994 Western movie Maverick.

[24][29] Her first win in a professional event came on June 13, 2005, in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the No-Limit Hold'em Summer Series.

[31] On February 12, 2006, Rousso placed fifth at the final table of the 195-entrant $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em WSOP Circuit event at Harrah's Atlantic City.

[32] Rousso joined the professional poker tour in April 2006, and by October was among the top 80 in earnings that year.

[39][40] The law compels financial institutions to monitor and stop their customers' cash transfers to unlawful online gaming sites.

[44] In 2007, she earned $700,782.50, her largest career payday at that time, during the World Championship of Online Poker NL Hold'em Main Event with a second-place finish in the 2998-entrant field.

In the head-to-head single-elimination 2009 National Heads-Up Poker Championship tournament, Rousso made it to the finals of the 64-person field before losing to Huck Seed.

Along the way to her runner-up finish, she defeated Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Paul Wasicka, Daniel Negreanu, and Bertrand Grospellier.

[58] In 2009, Rousso spoke in favor of changes to Florida gambling laws that would remove caps on buy-ins and wagers on poker in the state.

[69] On January 9, 2010, she finished first among 91 entrants to earn $24,725 at the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em – Ladies Event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

In her online blog on January 4, 2009, Rousso confirmed that she participated that week in a photo shoot in Nassau, Bahamas, when she was there for the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure poker tournament.

[78][79] In the advertisement, Russo appeared in a bikini bottom and cutoff wetsuit top, in keeping with the swimsuit theme.

"[80] In March 2009, Rousso signed to promote internet domain names by GoDaddy, a sponsor of the 2009 National Heads-Up Poker Championship.

[83] Rousso is regarded as one of the sexiest poker players in the world, ranking 18th by Bleacher Report in 2010,[84] and in the top 20 by Maxim in 2010.

[89] In 2015, at the wrap party for Big Brother, Rousso announced her engagement to her long-term girlfriend Melissa Ouellet.