Vanessa Rousso Releases Single "Kiss Face"

(Photo: Wetpaint.com)

A resume in poker that includes more than $3.5 million in winnings is taking a backseat to music for Vanessa Rousso with the release of a new single entitled "Kiss Face."

The former "Big Brother" contestant teamed up with Mel Ouellet to form a DJ/producer combo called N1TEL1TE, with the pair of ladies working on putting out electronic dance music for more than a year. “Kiss Face" is the first production toward that end with more dance singles to follow.

Zero Sum Game

Rousso revealed in a press release that poker was no longer as fulfilling as it once was, perhaps feeling some pangs of guilt over benefiting from the financial losses of others. Not so with music, where her contributions make a mark in a more positive way.

"Being a poker player, everything is zero-sum—a win, is always somebody else's loss," Rousso stated. "On the contrary, making music with Mel means spreading love and making people feel good... and that's the best feeling in the world."

Catch Vanessa at WSOP

While poker is no longer in the forefront of her life, don't expect Vanessa to abandon the game completely. She plans on entering the 2017 WSOP Main Event and perhaps some other events from time to time.

But it's safe to say that the former PokerStars Team Pro's passion now lies in the music studio. The game of poker may be somewhat diminished as a result, as Vanessa undoubtedly attracted and influenced other women to try their hand at what is a much too male-dominated industry.

However, poker's loss is music's gain and following one's passion is the way to be truly happy. Best of luck to the multi-talented Rousso in following her heart and dreams rather than being swayed by the dollar signs of those guaranteed prize pools.

You can find "Kiss Face" on iTunes. According to the N1TEL1TE Twitter account, the cut reached #1 on The Hype Machine's rankings.