In breaking news from the National Heads-Up Poker Championship in Las Vegas, Team PokerStars Pro member Vanessa Rousso was named the newest Go Daddy girl. The signing comes on the eve of Day 1 of the popular NBC poker tournament, which begins on Friday at Caesars Palace.

Rousso appeared in the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and has become one of the top female poker pros in the world. She’ll join race car driver Danica Patrick and original Go Daddy girl Candice Michelle as spokeswomen for the all-encompassing domain service site. Bob Parsons, the founder of Go Daddy, explained in a press release distributed late Thursday night, “Vanessa is smart, she’s aggressive, and she’s hot. She has an economics degree from Duke. She’s working on a law degree at the University of Miami. And, like Go Daddy Girl Danica Patrick, she’s competing successfully in what has been a man’s sport. She is definitely Go Daddy material!”

In the “man’s sport” of poker, Rousso has logged one final table at the World Series of Poker in her career. It came in 2006 in a $5,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed tournament. She finished in eighth place for $61,000 in a contest that was ultimately won by Jeff Madsen. Also at the final table were Erick Lindgren and new World Poker Association Chairman “Captain” Tom Franklin. During Season 3 of NBC’s “Poker After Dark,” she displayed her proficiency at the table on national television, taking down an episode that featured Gus Hansen battling against five women.

In addition to Rousso, Patrick, and Michelle, NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is also a spokesperson for the company, which leases internet domain names and provides ancillary services. Go Daddy has 34 million domains under is umbrella. On joining the up and coming organization, Rousso commented, “Poker is my passion, but that actually started with my interest in economics. I know a strong company when I see one and Go Daddy is absolutely dominant. Go Daddy is a world leader in so many internet categories, plus it has a reputation for being fun, edgy, and aggressive. It’s just my style.”

In 2007, she finished as the runner up in the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Main Event under the name “LadyMaverick.” She originally placed third; however, the tournament’s winner was ultimately disqualified. Taking first in the event after the DQ was ka$ino, who pocketed $1.4 million. As the runner up, Rousso received $700,000. In 2006, she took seventh in the flagship tournament on the World Poker Tour (WPT), its Championship event held at the Bellagio each April; Rousso banked $263,000 for her efforts.

The National Heads-Up Poker Championship is sponsored by Go Daddy. Tonight, a drawing party will be held at the PURE Nightclub. Poker News Daily has learned that Parsons will draw for the pairings for Round 1 of the tournament. The Heads-Up Championship has been dominated by Full Tilt Poker pro Chris Ferguson. “Jesus,” as he’s affectionately known in the poker world, has amassed a 16-3 record (a clip of 84%) in the four previous installments of the event, making the final table three times and winning it in 2008.

The tournament concludes on Sunday, when a winner will be determined by a best two out of three match. Its champion receives $500,000 and a wealth of television time, while the runner up will take home a $250,000 consolation prize. The top six out of the 64 player field will finish in the money.

At Caesars, the name of the game is No Limit Texas Hold’em. The National Heads-Up Poker Championship will air over six consecutive Sundays starting on April 12th at Noon Eastern Time.

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