Poker celebrity Vanessa Rousso’s Big Slick Boot Camp is working with PokerStars on a series of Ladies Only Boot Camps. “Being a successful poker player is a combination of skill and confidence,” Rousso says.  “Since men far out-number women in the poker community, it is imperative for female players to display a strong level of confidence in their game to avoid being perceived as an easy target…this type of intimidation tactic can easily compromise optimal playing ability.” The boot camp is designed to provide women with skills and techniques to improve playing ability, as well as effective strategies to develop a level of confidence that commands respect at the poker table.

Rousso may be the top female player in the world, and has become one of the most sought after poker instructors. Her ability to teach the game is evidenced by numerous accolades from students who attribute their increased earnings to what they learned at her Big Slick Boot Camp. Of the 50 players who recently attended Rousso’s Boot Camp at the Biloxi’s Beau Rivage Casino, 8 cashed in tournaments earning over $50,000.  Last year, one of them cashed for over $40,000 from the Main Event.

The first EPT Ladies Only Boot Camp will be held April 27, in Monte Carlo (France). The 6-hour women only event will offer a 1-hour photo and autograph session followed by a 5-hour instructional boot camp.   Rousso will focus on the theory of poker and highlight specific areas that pertain to women players in a male dominated game.

The cost of the Boot Camp alone is $400, and can be purchased at www.bigslickbootcamp.com.

“Providing a Ladies Only Boot Camp allows me to give back to the poker community,” Rousso says. “I hope to encourage more women to become competitive players.”

The poker world is dominated by men, but there are also women who have made their mark on the green felt. There has been a debate as to who the hottest poker babes in the game are. Maxim magazine recently took on the challenge of naming the 20 hottest women in the poker world, albeit with some liberties taken along the way.

Sitting at the top of the list are two poker babes who are sponsored by major online poker sites. UB.com’s Tiffany Michelle heads the list. Tiffany made her mark on the poker world in 2008 when she was the last woman standing in the WSOP Main Event. Since that time, she has continued to excel at the poker tables and has appeared on “The Amazing Race” with fellow poker pro Maria Ho.  Michelle also has been in the movie “Semi Pro” with Will Ferrell and the FX series “Nip/Tuck.”

Fellow poker pro and poker babe Vanessa Rousso was also included in the Maxim 20-woman lineup.  Rousso, who has a multi-year sponsorship package with internet giant GoDaddy.com along with PokerStars, also appeared in the 2009 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Rousso is one of the preeminent women in the game today, with several six-figure cashes in her career that include a victory at last year’s EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final High-Roller event and a runner-up finish to Huck Seed at the 2009 National Heads-Up Poker Championship. She recently cashed at the WPT L.A. Poker Classic, with a 59th place finish.

Top model Joanna Krupa is also on the Maxim list.  Krupa is a renowned model, as well as a hostess for the PokerStars North American Poker Tour. Former Absolute Poker spokesperson and model Serinda Swan makes the list along with actress Shannon Elizabeth, who has also been sponsored by both Full Tilt Poker and Doyle’s Room.

2005 WSOP Women’s Champion Jennifer Tilly and Playboy model and actress Jenny McCarthy are also on the Maxim list is on the Maxim list.  Former “That 70s Show” star and poker afficionado Laura Prepon along with former “Baywatch” world sex symbol and actress Pamela Anderson also made the list.  Anderson was the second oldest poker babe to make the list, after Jennifer Tilly.   Years ago, Anderson was the face of her own online poker room, PamelaPoker.com, and allegedly settled a poker debt by marrying her opponent, former Paris Hilton paramour Rick Salomon, in a marriage that was later annulled.

Many of the former contestants on Bravo TV’s “Celebrity Poker Showdown,” appear on the Maxim list, including Academy Award winner Mena Suvari, comedian Sarah Silverman, former “Beverly Hills 90210” actress Jennie Garth, “Austin Powers” star Heather Graham, “Party Of Five” actress Lacey Chabert, “The Office” star Jenna Fischer, and actress Rosario Dawson all make their mark on the Maxim hot list and continue to play in charity events across the country. Also included in the Maxim list as the hottest poker babes on the planet are Jennifer Love Hewitt, Traci Bingham, and Odette Yustman.

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The field of 64 is set in the NHUPC which will air on NBC.

In an all-female first round showdown, Jennifer Harman is paired up with actress and poker babe Jennifer Tilly. Seven women will travel to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas today for first round action. Joining Harman and Tilly are Annie Duke, Annette Dworski, Annette Obrestad, Vanessa Rousso and Kara Scott.  Six women took to the field in 2009, including poker babe Vanessa Rousso, who finished as the runner-up to Huck Seed.

Those in the hunt for the title range between 21-year old Annette and 76-year-old Doyle Brunson . The tournament airs on NBC beginning on April 18 and will run for six consecutive Sundays. The winner of the heads-up tournament pockets $500,000, while its runner-up takes home a cool $250,000.

Interesting draws for Mercier, Rousso
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