Team PokerStars Pro player Vanessa Rousso has revealed in her latest blog that she is to appear in the famed Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. She will be the first female poker star to grace the pages of SI and, yes, she will be in a bikini.

Over the years Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue has helped make the careers of famous supermodels such as Marisa Miller and Elle McPherson while also drawing lots of mainstream attention by getting tennis starlets Anna Kournikova and Maria Sharapova to strip off in recent years. Rousso's inclusion is a great coup for both PokerStars and the poker world in general, allowing a worldwide audience to see one of the game's best female players like they've never seen her before.

The issue is due for release in a few months and PokerPlayer will have an update as soon as it hits the shops.

Rousso-gate Update

While the long-awaited Sports Illustrated pics haven't been released yet, some juicy gossip regarding Vannessa Rousso's pictorial has emerged. Apparently, SI contacted PokerStars and asked if there were any poker players they could recommend for a shoot in it's famed 'Swimsuit Issue'.

Sadly, PokerStars didn't put forward Greg Raymer or Bill Chen (imagine that!) but instead a more logical option in the blonde Rousso. However, after seeing the finished pictures Sports Illustrated decided to pass on the option of including the PokerStars Pro in the magazine.

So how is she still going to appear? It seems that Stars purchased an advertising spread in the issue and Rousso will be appearing under this guise! Whatever the details though it is still great exposure for poker and the release date can't come quick enough for Rousso's legion of male fans.

The Showdown

Well, the 2009 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue is out and the whole teenage poker community duly raced down to their newsagents to catch a glimpse of Vanessa Rousso in her skimpies - only to be very disappointed. As reported above, PokerStars actually had to pay for an ad to get the blonde included in the mag at all and the end result was just one solitary pic of Vanessa baring her mid-riff in 'shark infested' waters.

You can check out the image on this link but don't expect too much...