Poker Pro Vanessa Rousso Wins One Million at EPT 25K High Roller

Poker pro Vanessa Rousso informed Gambling911.com this evening that she won a cool million (or close to it) at the EPT 25K High Roller Tournament.  We are so excited for her. 

"I am so excited!" she said.

Rousso's luck has been extraordinary as of late.  She recently came in second place at NBC's National Head's Up Championship Celebrity Poker Tournament.

I recently had a chance to sit down with Vanessa while she was in West Palm Beach taking part in the "Big Slick Boot Camp"

JENNY:  What was it like finishing second at the recent NBC Head's Up Tournament?

VANESSA:  It was probably as good as it gets because not only did I finish second but I did so in a way that finally people couldn't really say, "Oh she just got]lucky" - because the people that I faced to get to the finals included Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, 2007 Head's Up champ - Phil Wasicka, and among others - formidable opponents to say the least.  So I earned it to get there or at least I believe I did and I think most people agree after that line up.  Being a woman in poker, I often have to swallow my pride and so it was especially sweet to get there.

JENNY:  Well here we are on the last day of Big Slick Boot Camp (www.bigslickbootcamp.com) - The Art of Poker where you were in Pompano earlier in the month, then Jacksonville, and now here in West Palm.  Overall, how was the turnout?

VANESSA:  They were great.  We averaged about forty for each camp - maybe thirty for the first one and forty for the other two.  So it's been good.

JENNY:  Do you think with a little bit more time there'll be a bigger response for next year's boot camp?

VANESSA:  Yeah.  I mean we really did a very short notice.  We didn't give ourselves much time - we kind of winged it.

JENNY:  So lessons learned for next year - right?

VANESSA:  Right.

(Jenny messes up big time)

JENNY:  Has Chris been here through this whole thing or has he been off doing his own thing?

VANESSA:  Who?

JENNY:  Chris - your fiancée Chris.

VANESSA:  Chad.

JENNY:  I'm so sorry.  I can't believe I said Chris.  (haha)

VANESSA:  I was like Chris who's Chris?  I'm not supposed to know a Chris.  (haha)

JENNY:  I'm sorry.  (haha) 

VANESSA:  He's been here for most of the time.  He's actually right now in Italy.  He went up to San Remo first because I went to the 25K in Vegas and came back here cause I knew I had to do this.  We actually have spent the last ten days apart.  We miss each other a lot.  I can't wait to see him.  I see him tomorrow.  Actually I leave straight to the airport from here.

JENNY:  Have you been able to relax?  The last time we talked you had said that you wanted to get some sun and catch up on some movies.

VANESSA:  No.  A little bit - very little.  It's been a lot of work.

JENNY:  Well you look great.

VANESSA:  Thanks.  I actually went to the beach yesterday.

JENNY:  Well have you been able to prep for Monte Carlo?

VANESSA:  Not really but there's not really much to prep for a tournament like that.  The important thing is that I get my sleep.  I'll have an extra day when I get there to go to bed and make sure that I get enough sleep.

JENNY:  What key advice would you give some one like me that is looking to get started in poker?

VANESSA:  Treat the study of poker like you would any other career you were preparing for.  It has the potential to reap the rewards of a career, so why not treat it with the responsibility of career.  You know - read the books that are out there, treat it responsibly, don't squander your winnings and gamble them away, don't show up to work drunk (haha) - things like that.  Simple, be responsible - that's pretty much the most reasonable advice I can give you.

JENNY:  Thank you.

VANESSA:  You're welcome.  

Immediately after ending our interview, I took a spot in the back of the class (Jenny always avoided the front) to get a few pointers from this pro.  After the first 15 minutes, I realized that I still had a lot to learn about the game of poker as I had no clue.  I also realized how patient and willing Vanessa was to teach these students what they wanted and needed to know about the art of poker.  She answered every question with ease with an added bit of her humor. 

She began the class with an outline on what would be discussed throughout the six-hour session with a complete itinerary.   The workbook provided had an initial question.  "So, what is a game?"  The answer provided, "Technically, a "game" is a strategic interaction between "players" with certain preferences and possible courses of action."  Her examples given are:  Dating Games, Political Games, Board Games, Negotiations, Poker.  Her suggestion of a better question was - What isn't a game?  She had a good point and I liked the idea of that question.  "What isn't a game?"  And you could tell that others in the room were understanding and liking her concept.

Vanessa stated early on in the course, "I'm going to teach you about tournaments today."  She asked the group, "What is the main goal in a poker tournament"?  As there were a few good and close answers - Vanessa said, "Ultimately, the goal in a poker tournament is surviving."  Another pointer she outlined in her workbook was Many Sources of Info at the Table - Quantities and Calculations - Based on blinds, number of players, chip counts, chips in play, odds of winning a hand, size of pot.  As she explained this section to the students she told them not to worry about learning it over night because it's almost impossible to do unless you're Bill Chen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Chen).  She followed that up by giving a brief poker bio on who Bill Chen was to those who didn't know including that he was a game theorist like Chris Ferguson and herself.  Vanessa had also referenced the book "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu further explaining that the military strategies used were a lot of the same fundamentals used in poker.

I sat through an interesting and informative hour more of the boot camp and thought it would be a good time to make my exit.  However, Vanessa had other plans as she had called my name and asked me a question upon Jenny getting up for my departure.  I felt like I was in school all over again being called on by my Algebra teach, Mrs. Mills.  I answered her question correctly but in question form.  Hey - I felt pressured.  WTF?  I stayed for a bit longer seeing that I didn't want to put another spotlight on myself.  Big mistake!  As she was explaining "outs" and your chances on winning on a flop and a turn, she called upon me again asking me how many 8s are in a deck.  I responded (again) with a question.  Uh, four?  Duh!

Overall, Jenny definitely has a lot to learn before I even think of getting involved with this game.  I do have to say that I did learn some key points from this young talented and self-taught pro.  Vanessa's a natural teacher always taking time to answer questions and involving the students by not doing all the talking herself and asking relative questions to keep all of us on our toes. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay to attend this boot camp in its entirety because I needed to get back to the office.  But if given the chance for the next boot camp, I'm there ready and willing.

Keep a look out for upcoming events involving Big Slick Boot Camp - The Art of Poker.  Vanessa talked about doing a future advanced boot camp in Las Vegas in which people will be able to get packages on Pokerstars.com.  Should you have any questions, feel free to email me at JWoo911@gmail or you can find me on facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=507252798&ref=nf.

Jenny Woo, Gambling911.com Senior International Correspondent