Vanessa Selbst

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Vanessa Selbst has gone on to establish herself as one of the world’s most formidable tournament players.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Vanessa Selbst has gone on to establish herself as one of the world’s most formidable tournament players. Selbst developed her competitive spirit from a young age, as she excelled both academically and on the sports field playing tennis, field hockey and rugby.

After achieving excellent results in school, Selbst attended MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) for one year, before transferring to Yale. Although she began playing poker in home games in high school, Selbst has credited much of her poker education to her time at Yale, where she began to discuss the intricacies of the game, and became involved in the 2+2 forum.

While still a student, Selbst began to dedicate her summers away from study to play poker, participating in her first World Series of Poker in 2006. Her first WSOP could be considered a success, as she final-tabled the $2,000 No-Limit Hold ‘Em event finishing 7th for $101,285. Selbst would continue her success at the WSOP in the following years as she finished in 3rd place in the 2007 $5,000 World Championship Heads-Up event for a $128,968 cash, before winning her first bracelet in the 2008 $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. In the heads-up section of the Pot-Limit Omaha event, Selbst’s opponent Jamie Pickering, who had been drinking alcohol throughout the tournament, was shoving all-in blind and Selbst survived the madness to pick up her first WSOP bracelet.

Selbst managed to win her 2nd WSOP bracelet in 2012 when she won the $2,500 10 Game Six Handed event for $244,259. Selbst’s biggest career win to date is her first place finish in the 2010 Main Event of the Partouche Poker Tour, as she took $1,800,000 for her win.

In January of 2013 Selbst took down the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure High Roller event for $1,424,402. Selbst had proposed to her partner the night before the event began, making the tournament an extra special win for her. Unlike many other professional players who drop out of education after realising they can make money playing poker, Selbst is unique in that she has continued on with her studies.

Selbst returned to Yale after graduation to pursue a law degree, graduating in 2012. She has since stated that she would like to pursue a career in civil rights: economic equality, racial justice and against the government’s abuse of authority.

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15 years ago7,341

Published 15 years ago

Vanessa Selbst

Tiffany Michelle catches up with Vanessa whos currently the last remaining female and chip leader in\nthe $1500 Pot Limit Omaha. ...

15 years ago5,271

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Vanessa Selbst - Winner $1500 PLO

Vanessa Selbst - Winner $1500 PLO

13 years ago10,188

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NAPT Mohegan Sun 2010: Champion Vanessa Selbst

Congratulations to Vanessa Selbst, the newest PokerStars.net North American Poker Tour Champion after taking down a field of 716 p...

13 years ago6,237

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NAPT Mohegan Sun: Vanessa Selbst

NAPT Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT, April 2010. Highlights from Vanessa Selbts dominating performance at the Main Event final table.

11 years ago9,293PokerTube,

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Vanessa Selbst 3rd after Day 1B, featuring Scotty Seiver

Vanessa Selbst is one of the best players overall in the world right now. She won a very impressive bracelet in the 10-game and ha...

11 years ago7,309Arnas1254,

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PStv Top 5: Vanessa Selbst

Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst is a force to be reckoned with at the felt. Check out this countdown of highlights from PStv.

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EPT 8 Barcelona - Nikov vs Selbst

Dobromir Nikov (Bulgaria) and Vanessa Selbst (USA) in action at EPT Barcelona, September 2011

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Vanessa Selbst slowrolls Peter Eastgate

Vanessa Selbst slowrolls Peter Eastgate

11 years ago7,107

Published 11 years ago

PCA10: Vanessa Selbst Gets Engaged!

Sarah talks to Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst about playing the PCA Super High Roller for the first time and getting engaged!

11 years ago4,074

Published 11 years ago

PCA10: Switching from No Limit to Mixed Games with Selbst and Greenstein

PokerStars hosted a Q & A with Vanessa Selbst and Barry Greenstein.

Vanessa Selbst and Jennifer Tilly among Four Inductees to Women In Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2022

Vanessa Selbst, Jennifer Tilly, Angelica Hael and Terry King have all been chosen as inductees into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame (WiPHoF) Class of 2022

Selbst, Tilly and Foxen Among Magnificent Seven Announced for Women in Poker Hall of Fame Final

The seven female players who will contest the final voting round for induction into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame have been announced

Vanessa Selbst Invites Top Poker Pros to Get a "Real" Job on Wall Street

Selbst took to social media last month with her headhunting endeavor, putting the word out to top poker talent that the trading firm she works for is hiring

Top 3 Worst Poker Bluffs

We’ve captured some of the worst bluffs from over the years

The Future of PokerStars Pros: What Are They Now Looking for?

Is PokerStars changing tack on their policies?

The Top 5 Poker Pros Who Quit in 2018

Not everyone is still in love with the poker dream it seems

The Illest Becomes the Thrillist as Kelly Minkin 5-bet Bluffs with Seven-Deuce

With Vanessa Selbst retiring from the game, poker needs a new brave and bloodthirsty female to grab the reins

Vanessa Selbst Profiled in NY Times Article

It's not every day that a "former" professional poker player gets a write up in the New York Times.

James Obst Quitting Poker To Play Wimbledon

James Obst went after his childhood dream of going pro, not at poker but tennis.

Phil & Farah Galfond Are Expecting A Baby!

Phil Galfond has had every player waiting with baited breath for updates on RunItOnce poker site – and when it came - it was an entirely unexpected one…