WSOP Event #22 No Limit Hold'Em: Rousso and Greenstein in, Brenes out

Dressed in a track suit and tennis shoes, with an iPod nano strapped to her arm and her hair pulled back into a ponytail, it would be easy to think that Team PokerStars' Vanessa Rousso was on her way to the gym, rather than back into the Amazon room where she is currently assaulting today's $2000 No Limit Hold'Em event.

Normally, I'm a little shy about talking to ass-kicking poker players, and I'm equally shy about talking to beautiful women, but in this case, it was a peak hitting a trough, and, spurred on by the Voice of Otis, I got up from the couch and introduced myself.

"Hi, Vanessa? I'm Wil Wheaton," I said.

Don't stare, Wil. Don't stare.

"I play for Team PokerStars, and I --"

"Oh, I know you," she said, with a huge smile. "I mean, I don't know you, but I know you, you know?"

I just know that I blushed. I felt it in my cheeks and my neck. I'm pretty sure most of you would have done the same thing, if you'd been in my position.

Settle down, big guy. Talk about poker.

"I'm writing about PokerStars players for the blog," I said, pointing over toward my laptop, "how are you doing?"

"I just made a great laydown before the break," she said. "I had top pair, top kicker, and the other guy made a flush. I got away from the hand, and I'm above average right now."

"How much?"

"About 3300."

"Well, I'll track you as best as I can, and hopefully I'll be watching you for a long time."

"I hope so," she said.

Err . . .

"Real quick, before you go: how's your table?"

"It's perfect for me," she said. "I have very good command of my table, so I'm feeling good."

"Awesome. Good luck!"

"Thanks!"

She bounced out of the room, and all the guys in here heavily exhaled.

--
Humberto Brenes just came in. On a king-high board, he got all his money in with KQ vs his opponent's AK.

"He had it in the big blind, and I was short on chips," he said.

"Lo siento, man," I said, "that sucks."

"Hey, it's this game," he said, still smiling. I'm starting to notice that Humberto is just that kind of guy. In fact, right now he's talking with two rather enthusiastic fans across the room.

I also noticed, when checking Vanessa's chip count, that Barry Greenstein is also playing in today's event, and is currently sitting on about T5900. A long night indeed, Barry.