News / nono / 13 June 2008 / Leave a comment

The 2008 $1,500 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha champion is Vanessa Selbst, a 23-year-old law student and poker professional from Brooklyn, NY.

Selbst became the first woman to win a WSOP open event since Katja Thater last year in the 2007 Razz championship.

Selbst is a Yale University graduate. This fall, she plans to return to Yale to study law. She eventually plans to work on behalf of human rights issues.

Selbst collected $227,933 for first place. She also earned her first WSOP gold bracelet.

Selbst is the producer of a popular poker website called Deuces Cracked: www.deucescracked.com. The website serves as an instruction course for poker players. She is also a poker teacher/coach and commands fees of up to $350 per hour.

Selbst states that she believes in having a life aside from poker. She believes one can be a better poker player through what she terms proper balance. She is also civically active and politically-minded. Selbst said in a post-tournament interview: "I really think it's important to do other things (aside from playing poker all the time). We have to give something back. We are so fortune to be here essentially flipping coins for $80,000 (in prize money). While that's great, I also believe we have a responsibility to do greater deeds."