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Vanessa Rousso is an American professional poker player, born in White Plains, New York, in 1983 and raised partly in Paris, who played online as “LadyMaverick”. A Duke University economics graduate with an interest in game theory, she turned to poker while in law school, made the final table of the 2006 WPT Championship, and was a member of Team PokerStars Pro. In 2009 she won the €25,000 High Roller Championship at the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo and finished second in the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. [1][3][4]
Vanessa Rousso: key facts
| Full name | Vanessa Rousso |
|---|---|
| Online alias | LadyMaverick [1] |
| Country | United States (French-American) [1] |
| Born | February 5, 1983 (age 43), White Plains, New York [3] |
| Known for | 2009 EPT Grand Final €25,000 High Roller title; runner-up in the 2009 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship [4][5] |
| WSOP bracelets | 0 (32 cashes and 7 final tables on WSOP.com) [2] |
| Best result | 1st, 2009 EPT Grand Final €25,000 High Roller Championship, €720,000 first prize [4] |
| Poker Hall of Fame | Not inducted |
| Live tournament earnings | $3,557,621 as of October 27, 2026 [1] |
Early life: Paris, Florida and Duke
Rousso was born on February 5, 1983, in White Plains, New York. According to a 2009 PokerNews profile, she grew up in Paris until she was 10 and then moved with her mother to Wellington, Florida. She graduated as her high school’s valedictorian and won a full scholarship to Duke University, where she majored in economics with a minor in political science. PokerNews notes that she graduated after only two and a half years. [1][3]
At Duke she became interested in game theory, the study of strategic decision making that later shaped how she talked about poker. She was then accepted to the University of Miami law school, also on a full scholarship. [3][11]
Beginning in poker
She started playing online while applying to law schools. At 21, as a law student, she began playing live at the Seminole Hard Rock casino in Florida, building her bankroll with $65 single-table sit-and-gos. In May 2005 she finished seventh in a WSOP Circuit event in New Orleans. [3]
Her breakthrough came in April 2006 at the $25,000 WPT Championship at the Bellagio. To pay the buy-in she sold shares of her action to friends and law school classmates, in $100 increments according to PokerNews, and she finished seventh for $263,625, one place short of the televised final table. Soon afterwards she signed a sponsorship deal as a member of Team PokerStars Pro. [3][6][11] In September 2006 she won her first major title, the $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em event at the Borgata Poker Open, for $285,450. [6][11]
Online, she finished second in the 2007 PokerStars WCOOP Main Event for $700,000. PokerNews reported at the time that she moved up from third to second after the original winner was disqualified. She also appeared several times on NBC’s Poker After Dark, winning $120,000. [3][10]
Playing style
Before poker, Rousso played backgammon and chess; according to PokerNews, she was drawn to poker by its “mathematical and psychological aspects”, and her interest in game theory dates from her studies at Duke. [3][11]
Most of her major results came in No-Limit Hold’em, including heads-up events. Covering her 2011 WSOP Main Event, PokerNews reported that she spends the first hours of a tournament studying her table and then adjusts her strategy to the players’ styles and stack sizes, treating the Main Event as a marathon rather than playing every tournament the same way. [11]
Greatest achievements
2009 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship
The 2009 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship at Caesars Palace had a $20,000 buy-in and 64 invited players, who played 63 heads-up matches over three days. On her way to the final Rousso beat Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, 2007 champion Paul Wasicka, Daniel Negreanu and Bertrand Grospellier; PokerNews commented, “There’s not a soft spot in that lineup.” She lost the final to Huck Seed, who took the $500,000 first prize, and earned $250,000 as runner-up. [1][5]
2009 EPT Grand Final High Roller Championship
Two months later she won the €25,000 High Roller Championship at the PokerStars EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo, outlasting a field of 79 players. With three players left, Rousso, Randy Dorfman and Tony G agreed a deal of €420,000 each, with €150,000 set aside for the winner. On the final hand her seven-six made a straight on the turn against Dorfman’s king-five, and she took the title, listed by PokerNews with the official first prize of €720,000. It remains the largest cash of her career. [1][4] Card Player reported that she won $1.4 million in 2009. [7]
Selected tournament results
| Year | Event | Result | Prize | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | EPT Grand Final, €25,000 High Roller Championship (79 entries) | 1st | €720,000 | [4] |
| 2010 | WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Bellagio, $10,000 Championship (438 entries) | 3rd | $358,964 | [2] |
| 2006 | Borgata Poker Open, $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 1st | $285,450 | [6] |
| 2006 | WPT Championship, Bellagio, $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 7th | $263,625 | [6] |
| 2009 | NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship, $20,000 (64 players) | 2nd | $250,000 | [1] |
| 2011 | EPT Madrid High Roller | 5th | $148,423 | [11] |
| 2010 | WSOP Event #35, $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship (256 entries) | 5th | $94,956 | [2] |
| 2010 | NAPT Mohegan Sun Main Event (716 entries) | 10th | $47,000 | [2] |
| 2011 | WSOP Event #58, $10,000 Main Event (6,865 entries) | 511th | $23,876 | [2] |
World Series of Poker record
Rousso has not won a WSOP bracelet. Her WSOP.com profile lists 32 cashes, 7 final tables and $1,264,475 in earnings, a total that also includes WPT and NAPT results shown on that profile. Her deepest Main Event run was 511th of 6,865 in 2011, and her most recent WSOP cashes came in the Colossus events of 2015 and 2016. [2] PokerNews noted in April 2022 that her last recorded cash came in 2017. [1]
Hall of Fame and records
Rousso is not a member of the Poker Hall of Fame. In 2015 her live earnings ranked fifth on the women’s all-time money list, according to PokerNews. [8] Card Player, which also counts real-name online results, credits her with $3,551,265 from 59 cashes and 5 wins. [6]
Beyond the table: PokerStars and television
Rousso joined Team PokerStars Pro after her 2006 WPT Championship run; in February 2015 Card Player reported that she was no longer a sponsored PokerStars player. [3][7] Outside poker, she finished third on season 17 of the CBS reality show Big Brother in 2015. [8]
In her own words
- “I would say Big Brother was even harder than the WSOP.” PokerListings interview. [9]
- “I think that any poker player who plays Big Brother has an edge over the other players.” PokerListings interview. [9]
- “You have to base your satisfaction on decisions.” PokerListings interview. [9]
Iconic hands and moments
Vanessa Rousso against Tony G on The Big Game (PokerStars)
Vanessa Rousso on Poker Queens (PokerStars)
FAQ about Vanessa Rousso
How old is Vanessa Rousso?
Vanessa Rousso was born on February 5, 1983, so she is 43 as of October 27, 2026. [3]
Where is Vanessa Rousso from?
She was born in White Plains, New York, grew up in Paris until she was 10 and then moved to Florida. PokerNews describes her as a French-American player from Miami. [1][3]
What is Vanessa Rousso’s net worth?
There is no reliable public figure for her net worth. What can be verified is her live tournament record: $3,557,621 in earnings as of October 27, 2026, according to PokerNews. Sponsorship and other income are not published. [1]
Has Vanessa Rousso won a WSOP bracelet?
No. Her WSOP.com profile lists no bracelets, 32 cashes and 7 final tables. Her best WSOP finish in a bracelet event was fifth in the 2010 $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship. [2]
What was Vanessa Rousso’s biggest win?
The €25,000 High Roller Championship at the 2009 EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo, a 79-player event with a €720,000 first prize. The final three players had agreed a deal before she won the title. [4]
What is Vanessa Rousso’s nickname?
LadyMaverick is the online name under which PokerNews lists her (“aka ‘LadyMaverick'”). [1]
Was Vanessa Rousso on Big Brother?
Yes. She finished third on season 17 of CBS’s Big Brother in 2015. [8]
Is Vanessa Rousso still a PokerStars pro?
No. She signed with PokerStars after the 2006 WPT Championship, and Card Player reported in February 2015 that she was no longer a sponsored player. [3][7]
Related Poker Legends
Read more about other players in our Poker Legends series: Huck Seed, Liv Boeree and Maria Ho.
Sources
- PokerNews, Vanessa Rousso player profile (earnings data provided by The Hendon Mob), accessed October 27, 2026.
- WSOP.com, Vanessa Rousso player profile, accessed October 27, 2026.
- PokerNews, The PokerNews Profile: Vanessa Rousso, Nicole Gordon, March 6, 2009.
- PokerNews, Rousso Rolls in PokerStars.com EPT Monte Carlo High Roller Championship, Martin Harris, May 3, 2009.
- PokerNews, 2009 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship, live coverage, March 8, 2009.
- Card Player, Vanessa Rousso player profile, accessed October 27, 2026.
- Card Player, PokerStars And Vanessa Rousso Part Ways, Brian Pempus, February 11, 2015.
- PokerNews, Was Vanessa Rousso Able to Capture the $500,000 Top Prize on Season 17 of Big Brother?, Chad Holloway, September 24, 2015.
- PokerListings, Vanessa Rousso: “Big Brother Was Harder Than WSOP”, accessed October 27, 2026.
- PokerNews, WCOOP Main Event Winner Disqualified, October 16, 2007.
- PokerNews, A Day in the Life of Vanessa Rousso, Danielle Barille, July 10, 2011.
Last verified: October 27, 2026. Figures that change over time, such as career earnings, are given with the date they were checked.
