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Vanessa Selbst Announces She Will be a Mom

Most of you are already aware that three-time WSOP bracelet winner Vanessa Selbst has stepped away from poker on a professional level for a job at a Hedge Fund. It now appears that Vanessa and wife Miranda Foster are now embarking on a new life adventure.

According to a recent Twitter post, the couple is now expecting their first child together. The way that they made the announcement was definitely creative and the poker world now awaits “Kid Selbst’s” arrival.

Cards Against Humanity Used to Announce Baby Selbst

There is a myriad of ways you can announce a pregnancy and couples have been extremely creative over the years. When Jason Mercier and Natasha Mercier announced they were expecting, they went a fairly standard route taking a picture reading parenting books. However, the Selbst clan decided to do something a bit unique and different.

Selbst posted a picture on Twitter on Friday with a pair of cards that appeared to be from the game Cards Against Humanity. The first stated, “Next on ESPN2: The World Series of” and the next card was simply “A fetus.” Below the two cards was a picture of an ultrasound of their developing baby.

Selbst commented that despite her poker lull recently, she feels that she’s going to “crush this one.”

Despite the poker lull recently, I feel like I’m gonna crush this one. #WSOAF pic.twitter.com/d7kYw3oLx6

— Vanessa Selbst (@VanessaSelbst) April 7, 2018

Selbst About to Go Under the Ultimate Test of Skill

Vanessa Selbst is known for being one of the greatest players of this generation and considered by many to possibly be the greatest female player in history. She now embarks on a new challenge, one that will be an ultimate test of her skills.

The question is whether she will approach this new challenge using a “feel method” or more of a GTO strategy. There are plenty of books out there that will give her advice on developing her personal strategy, but as any parent can attest to, a lot of that is thrown out the window once you start going through the daily grind of raising children.

Of course, this is a bit tongue in cheek as we completely expect the newly minted parents to “crush” raising their child. Both are strong and intelligent women who will be excellent parents. It will be interesting to see the journey the pair take in growing their family.

Another Sign Selbst is Serious About Stepping Away from Pro Poker?

With this recent announcement, one can safely assume that Selbst was indeed serious after she stated that she will play the game recreationally rather than professionally in the future. As Jason and Natasha Mercier can attest to, everything changes when you have a child and the pair are greatly reducing their traveling and poker playing as a result.

Selbst has already stepped away from professional poker and this announcement all but guarantees that she will continue to play as merely a high-level amateur. We cannot see her staying away from her child for long stretches of poker and now Selbst will be known as Mom instead of a poker pro.

Kid Mercier vs. Kid Selbst?

After the pregnancy announcement, I began to think about the future should Selbst decide to teach her son or daughter poker. It is entirely possible at some time in the future that we could see her child battle against “Kid Mercier” at some point in the future, and maybe as soon as the 2040 World Series of Poker.

Coming to the 2040 @WSOP – Kid Selbst vs. Kid Mercier @VanessaSelbst @JasonMercier @natasha_mercier

— James Guill (@compncards) April 7, 2018

It would be fascinating to see the children of Vanessa Selbst and Jason Mercier battle against each other for a WSOP bracelet while the parents cheer them on – and make elaborate prop bets. That’s not to say that both, or either, child will become a poker player in the future, but imagine the possibilities if they did.

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