by James
2. March 2010 05:36
Vanessa Rousso says that if she weren’t a poker pro she’d be a life coach. With her poker winnings topping $3.5 million at the ripe old’ age of 27- it seems she might be on to something.
Before becoming a poker pro, Vanessa was a straight ‘A’ student, No. 2 debater in the country, high school valedictorian and studied an undergraduate degree at Duke. Her dream was to be the “queen of Wall Street” as a kid but when she was at law school she became completely side tracked with poker- something she never imagined would happen.
Rousso is outspoken on the question of poker being a sport more than gambling as well as poker being a game of skill.
To help spread the knowledge and enjoyment she has for poker, Rousso has started a poker boot camp where she incorporates game theory into instruction.
“You can’t divorce luck or gambling from poker,” Rousso says. “It’s part of the game. But the skill is in the manipulation of chance.”
Rousso has also come to the conclusion that as a result of being a poker player, she is also a risk manager. “The skill that I’ve honed is knowing how to optimize the growth of my chip stack,” she says. “Which is something that carries over phenomenally in the real world.”
When she isn’t working/playing, her poker free time is spent engaging in yet more risky and adrenaline inducing activities such as sky diving, flying lessons and playing the drums.
This doesn’t mean that she is reckless- Rousso has set up retirement accounts for her mother and two sisters.
I think I could do with some coaching from this woman.