Yale Law Grad Vanessa Selbst Plays Her Cards Right, Scores Second World Series of Poker Bracelet
The 2012 World Series of Poker is at the Rio hotel and casino
off the Las Vegas Strip. trekandshoot / Shutterstock.com
Vanessa Selbst hasn’t given up her dream of practicing public interest law.
But the newly minted Yale Law School graduate is delaying taking the bar as she pursues another career option—professional poker. Competing in event 52 (six-handed 10-game mixed) of the World Series of Poker, she parlayed a $2,500 buy-in into the top prize of $244,259, ESPN reports.
With several years to go before she hits her 30th birthday, Selbst has lifetime career tournament winnings of $5.3 million, which puts her second on the all-time money list for women players.
“I’m so happy, I have no words for once in my life,” Selbst told Poker News after winning her latest WSOP bracelet. “Normally when I bulldoze a table, it’s in like big bet events when I could bully people, this one I just ran like god. … I just hit every hand. It’s a pretty surreal experience.”
An earlier article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal provides additional details about Selbst’s legal career.
Once she finishes up at the WSOP, she plans to volunteer at a Los Angeles law firm this summer to get some hands-on legal experience. She says she will take the bar exam, either in California or elsewhere, next year.
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “After Latest $450K Poker Win, Yale Law Student Says She May Practice Only Part-Time”
