Women's Poker Spotlight: Poker Headliners

"In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can." -- Michael Korda

Joanne Monteavaro of Bronx, NY was the last woman standing at the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event at Harrah's Atlantic City. Ending Day 1 with a strong chip count, Monteavaro carried her chips to an impressive 11th-place finish in the $5,150 buy-in event. She overcame most of the 179-player field, cashing out with $13,874 when her pocket fives could not improve over eventual winner Brent Roberts' pocket eights.

This past year Monteavaro has had an inspiring run with several cashes in major events including a second-place finish in the $1,375+$125 NLHE event at the World Poker Finals in October and a sixth-place showing at the Borgata Winter Open NLHE Event #6. To date, Monteavaro has five cashes in major events and has won over $100,000 this year alone.

Trish Marks was the winner of the High Heels Poker Tour-sponsored, ladies-only no-limit hold'em tournament at the Winter Bayou Poker Challenge at Harrah's New Orleans. The saleswoman and mother of two from Mandeville, LA charged through the field of 113 players and won over $7,000 in her second live playing experience. Marks was also presented with a gold-and-diamond pendant, the traditional award granted to the ladies poker champion in New Orleans.

Celina Lin, the Shanghai-born, now-Australian resident poker professional, bested a field of 68 players in the Macau Cup Charity Event on December 12th. In adding to her growing poker resume (which includes a second-place finish in the Macau Cup Red Dragon Event at the Grand Waldo Hotel in July of this year), Lin collected the HKD $21,000 first prize along with a seat into the Red Dragon Main Event.