Wow! It's just amazing what the Belgian poker players are doing on the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) circuit at the moment! Two of my best poker girlfriends, Magia Vandamme and Coralie Nauder, did very well at the PokerStars Ladies Event in Madrid last month. Magia came in first and Coralie second in the event. The Belgian Team PokerStars Pros, Matthias and Christophe De Meulder, who are like my poker brothers, are also rocking both live and online tables. There were also great results by both Team Pro Pierre Neuville and Koen De Visscher.

For me, 2012 hasn't been that sweet so far. But hey, that's poker! It's good to feel that those results don't come easily; you have to work for them. It trains my poker mindset to be patient and not take for granted what I'm doing. Sometimes when things aren't going my way, I sometimes forget that every decision, every dollar matters.

I heard about a player who tore a dollar bill apart to confront himself with what he was doing by taking things too lightly. I must admit, apart from it being a crime and something I wouldn't do myself, it sums up quite well what goes on when you lose focus. Reflecting on this has had an effect because in my last three online tourneys I made the money. I wanted to survive, and tournament poker is all about surviving and minimizing risks.

I just love this game so much because it trains your mind to be strong and puts things in perspective. That also helps me in real life. When I focus while playing poker I forget almost everything around me.

April is going to be a very busy month for me. I'll be playing three live poker events. My first is going to be in Namur, Belgium at the PokerStars Belgian Poker Series. I'll be playing a side event while playing Counterstrike on a Lan party against all comers. So I'll be training my virtual shooting skills a lot the next days!

The second event I'll play is the Main Event at PokerStars EPT Berlin. It will be my first EPT Main Event ever, so I plan to go in prepared and take my time for every decision I make. There's also going to be a video crew following me for a program on national television. So I will get to see how nervous I'll be on national TV afterwards! My last event this month will be the PokerStars Women Live event in Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo 2010 was my first event ever, so I'm very happy I am going back! It's one of my favorite locations because of all the glitter and glamour. It's going to be amazing and I'm also looking forward to all the EPT parties. With no doubt they are the best parties ever. I hope to see some of you at my table!

Team PokerStars Pro and Olympic gold medalist Fatima Moreira De Melo's laidback style and calm energy belie an intense work ethic and passion for poker. She talked to PokerStars Women about her image at the table, finding time to exercise between tournaments and a well-timed four-bet at the PCA Main Event.

PokerStars Women- Do you play a lot of Women's events?
Fatima Moreira De Melo- Yes, quite a few, mostly in major PokerStars Events with bigger ladies tournaments on the side (like the EPT Grand Finale in Monte Carlo and the PCA). Though really, if you're not scared to play with a table full of women then you definitely shouldn't be afraid of playing with a table full of men. Women are always way harder on each other than men are toward women so I don't get why some women are afraid.


PSW-In some cases, the women's tournaments can be very strong, especially the PokerStars Women events.
FM- I think so too. There are a lot of good female pros. Obviously Vanessa, Vanessa, Liv, they're all good--I don't want them to my left. On the other hand, maybe you'll have some good spots there too because they three-bet lighter and I can figure out their thought process a little easier than other women. You may at first think a player is ABC, but you don't know for sure how experienced she is.

PSW How do you work on poker?
FM- I learn a lot from playing. I also discuss hands with friends a lot and watch training videos.

PSW - So you play cash also?
FM- No mostly, tournaments. I'm very impatient and I'm scared that if I start playing cash games I'll just keep reloading and reloading and reloading. With tournaments, there is a certain boundary, and it gives me the structure I need as a person.

PSW-Do you think being in good shape helps tournament performance?
FM- Well I agree with that, though it depends on who you are. If you've never been a fit person, it doesn't matter as much. You've never known any better. Although I still think if you then work out, the focus will help you.

PSW- How do you manage to work out with the long hours of most tournament schedules?
FM- Many events start at noon and you easily have time to work out before that. If you bust an event, you have time to work out then too. It's just a matter of discipline and wanting it. For example, when Elky fought against Raszi (Lex Veldhius) they trained a lot in anticipation for the match. I just saw Elky again and he's lost 7 kilos since the match. He's still training and paying attention to what he is eating.

PSW- What do you do to work out?
FM- I don't like going to the gym and standing on a treadmill. I love playing tennis, but that's only enough exercise for me if I play with my boyfriend, who was a pro tennis player. I also like kickboxing training but it's more like interval training than for a fight.

PSW- Does your boyfriend play poker?
FM -Yes he played in about four EPTs last year and went deep in the Grand Final.

PSW-Can you tell us about an interesting hand from a recent live major, which gives us a sense of how you play?
FM-In the PCA Main Event, I cold four-bet from the big-blind with 6-3 offsuit. The button min opened to 400 at 100/200/25, the guy to my right, an aggressive guy three-bet to 1400. I made it about 3450 and they both folded. I seem like a pretty tight player . . . it was a good spot for me.

PSW-What were the stacks like?
FM-I had about 15K (effective) so it was that's why it was a good spot for me. They think that if you 100 or 120 big blinds deep, that's when you can cold four-bet, so that made it look even stronger as my bet was 1/5 of my stack.

PSW- Most people probably don't know as much about how you play as other Team Pros . . .
FM-No, and that's why in the beginning I stay a little calmer so they perceive me as a defensive or tight player, and then after the tourney evolves and the blinds go up a bit, it's nice to pretend that you're tight and then use the spots in a more efficient way so there are more spots you can take. Although of course, there's always a chance people will five-bet you.

PSW-What do you recommend for women of PokerStars who may be struggling to improve?
FM- Well it really depends what they are struggling with. If you can't beat a certain level, play games or tournaments that are a bit smaller. For tournaments, not just money-wise, but also participant wise. For instance, if you're playing the Sunday Storm that's going to take a lot of focus for a long time if you want to do well in it. So you may want to pick out an $11 or $3 SNG or an 18-player SNG .

PSW-Your experience as an athlete, how does that help you with poker?
FM- My mentality is that I always want to learn, I'm willing to work hard, I'm capable of focusing for a longer period of time, I want to win and I'm very competitive. I brought that to field hockey and that's something I bring to poker as well. That's just my character.

PSW-Do you think people underestimate you?
FM-Yes, I use that to my advantage as well. They don't expect me to be the type of player to keep bluffs in my range. I don't blame them for thinking this . . . many people are still not that good at poker. For instance, a lot of players bet their queen high flush on the turn and on the river and then if they get raised, they're thinking for five minutes. They don't know what to do because they haven't thought about it.

PSW So you're saying you need a plan! Any goals yourself?
FM-Oh, I'm not like that. I'm not that type of person. I think in life you never know where you're going. I don't like to plan. I like to do things that lie within my capabilities and my likings and see where it brings me.

Maybe you haven't heard about this yet, because the poker world seems to still be in a bit of shock about last Sunday's Main Event win at the PokerStars.fr France Poker Series. The Snowfest series, as it's called, held at Evian in the French Alps, is eagerly awaited each year by many of the poker world's biggest pros. Some of the pros this year included Guillaume Darcourt--a WPT champion and odds-on favorite, as well as Team PokerStars Pro Matthias de Muelder. Other feared opponents included Elky Grospellier, Eugene Katchalov and Thibaud Guenegou. But one player in particular seemed totally unperturbed by the pros and unyielding in her approach. A teenager by the name of Veronika Pavlikova from the Czech Republic managed to plow through the field of 296 opponents with an unshakable calm that was described in some reports as "fearless," "unstoppable," and "relentless."

When Pavlikova was eventually crowned the winner and walked off with the title and the €70,000 grand prize it left many people wondering. How did she, a young unknown female barely old enough to enter a casino, beat a field of 296 players, many of them well-known pros? Was she unknown only in the live arena but a shark in the online sphere? And last but not least--we know you're wondering, so we asked it--"Is she the next Annette Obrestad?"

We have the answers to those questions and more in this interview with the young poker champion as she reflects on her recent win for PokerStars Women.

PSW: Congratulations on your big win at Snowfest, Veronika! Was this your first major win?

VP: Yes, it was my first big live tournament result, but I have plenty of good scores in online tournaments as well.

PSW: You must have been very excited when you won. Can you tell us a little about it?

VP: I was quite happy that I had achieved a good result in live poker (after playing about 20 live tournaments), but in many ways it was just like another online hit. I do hope that my success at Snowfest will be the start of some good results in live poker, however.

PSW: Do you play on PokerStars quite a bit then?

VP: Yes, I've played on PokerStars since May 2011 as xbet_kiddi, although I've been interested in poker for three years or so.

PSW: What kinds of tournaments do you play?

VP: I play MTTs with large fields.

PSW: How did you get into poker? Did you start online?

VP: My ex-boyfriend was playing online poker all the time, so I became interested. When I turned 18, I began to play online.

PSW: Do you have female friends who play? Do you discuss poker with them?

VP: No, I don't have any female friends in poker. For me it's better to talk about poker strategy with men. I have many high stakes poker friends with whom I discuss strategy and different approaches to various poker situations. Maybe I just haven't met many female poker players.

PSW: How did you decide to go to Snowfest?

VP: My friend posted info about this tournament on Facebook just a few days before the start of the Main Event. I like events that happen without planning, so I decided to go.

PSW: What's next for you on the poker circuit? Do you have another live tournament planned?

VP: I will play the PokerStars.co.uk UK and Ireland (UKIPT) Nottingham tournament in two weeks and maybe even UKIPT Dublin a month after that. I will definitely attend the PokerStars.fr French Poker Series (FPS) Amneville and some Czech tournaments as well. I need to keep grinding online too, but it's hard to find time for that when you are traveling a lot and playing live.

PSW: Are you in school now, as well?

VP: I have paused my studies because of poker. There is more value for me to play poker full-time right now. I will see in the future, but I definitely want to finish my studies one day.

PSW: Turning now to poker strategy, many people have commented on your aggressive approach in the tournament and compared you to another young female poker champion, Annette Obrestad. What do you think of these comments and comparisons?

VP: I love to play extremely aggressive poker, keeping opponents in constant pressure. I didn't always play so aggressively though. My ex-boyfriend taught me this style last year.

I don't think you can compare me to Annette; she is by far better than me. But obviously I would like to achieve some similar results. She has always been my number one female poker idol.

PSW: You beat many well-known pros including final table finishers Guillaume Darcourt, the French favorite and WPT champion who came in fourth, and Team PokerStars Pro Matthias de Muelder, who finished ninth. Do you remember any key hands against them?

VP: I remember playing with Darcourt very well. We played against each other really often. I was 3-betting him a lot and he didn't take it with ease. The one key hand was when we were down to 20 players. I 3-bet him for the fourth time and he 4-bet shoved his stack with QJ off-suit into my pocket Jacks. Luckily he didn't find a queen on the board. He survived until the next day when I finally eliminated him at the final table where I played very aggressively, especially against him.

PSW: One final question. Do you have any special plans for the €70,000 you won at Snowfest?

VP: No, I don't have any special plans. It boosted my bankroll to play even higher tournaments. I will just treat myself with more traveling around the world. That keeps me motivated.

There were 31 days in March; it would have been tough for any player to compete in all three Women's Poker League divisions, much less do well in all three of them on a regular basis. In addition to bankroll considerations, it takes good time management to play in multiple divisions almost daily. To call it a challenge would be an understatement.

One player did just that in March. Sommerkind19 of Germany set out to play all three divisions and not only did well but finished in the top 10 of them all. She finished seventh in the $.10 league, fifth in the $1.10 league, and eighth in the $5.50 division. Her results showed that she played in 81 tournaments total, and her performances dictated $250 in bonus money from the WPL. She, indeed, stepped up to the challenge and had the results to prove it.

Annamfa of Hungary also had quite the month, as she won the $5.50 league and finished in eighth place in the $.10 league, accumulating $530 in bonus cash from the 97 tournaments that put her in the top 10 in two divisions.

There were other stars this month as well. AkaSue won the $.10 league, blanckaa17 took the top spot in the $1.10, and annamfa claimed first place in the $5.50 division. Thousands of dollars were awarded, in addition to tickets to the $10K Grand Final. Those tickets were awarded to the winner of the $.10 league, top five players in the $1.10 league, and top 10 of the $5.50 division.

Let's get to the results:

$.10 League

On the 16th of March, Jafra2008 was in the lead with 15 tournaments played and 84 points accumulated. Bebellaa was close behind with 80, and horsewoman72 was on her heels with 79 points. But two weeks later, Aka Sue jumped from fourth place to first with 26 tournaments played and 145 points in total. Horsewoman72 nosed into second place with 120 points, and Jafra2008 was tied with her, while PeraD was in fourth and valyayastreb took fifth.

The final rankings showed Aka Sue of Australia able to maintain that lead and take first place in the league with 31 tournaments played and an astounding 185 points. Horsewoman72 of Canada stayed in second with 30 tournaments and 138 points, while valyayastreb of Russia climbed in third place with 136 points for her 30 tournaments.

In the country tally, Australia took number one but Germany had three players in the top 10 this month, while Canada and Ukraine each had two spots.

March Top 10:

1st place: Aka Sue (Australia) - 31 tournaments, 185 points = $100
2nd place: horsewoman72 (Canada) - 30 tournaments, 138 points = $90
3rd place: valyayastreb (Russia) - 30 tournaments, 136 points = $80
4th place: sonya2012 (Ukraine) - 27 tournaments, 135 points = $70
5th place: Jafra2008 (Germany) - 30 tournaments, 133 points = $55 (TIE)
5th place: PeraD (Germany) - 29 tournaments, 133 points = $55 (TIE)
7th place: sommerkind19 (Germany) - 27 tournaments, 127 points = $40
8th place: annamfa (Hungary) - 31 tournaments, 121 points = $30
9th place: FastBeauty (Ukraine) - 31 tournaments, 115 points = $20
10th place: Michael1920 (Canada) - 31 tournaments, 112 points = $15

$1.10 League

This league was a bit tighter in the middle stages of the month, but some breakout players took over toward the end. With one week to go in the month, blanckaa17 had the lead with 25 tournaments and 166 points, while GrowlingFrog was in distance second with 147 points and the same number of tournaments played. Pantonton was in third with 143 points and only 20 tournaments played.

Blanckaa17 of Mexico held on to the lead, played three more tournaments, and ended the month with 188 points. Pantonton, also from Mexico, moved up to second place with 23 tournaments and 175 points, and Viki991123 of Bulgaria took over third place with 170 points for her 31 tournaments. GrowlingFrog ended up finishing in fourth place.

Mexico claimed the top two spots on this leaderboard in March, and no other country had more than one player in the top 10. It should also be noted that maadcaroma finished sixth this month and sixth in this same division last month.

March Top 10:

1st place: blanckaa17 (Mexico) - 28 tournaments, 188 points = $250
2nd place: pantonton (Mexico) - 23 tournaments, 175 points = $170
3rd place: Viki991123 (Bulgaria) - 31 tournaments, 170 points = $140
4th place: GrowlingFrog (Australia) - 30 tournaments, 166 points = $120
5th place: sommerkind19 (Germany) - 30 tournaments, 152 points = $100
6th place: maadcaroma (Portugal) - 31 tournaments, 141 points = $90
7th place: vanessa10101 (Romania) - 31 tournaments, 140 points = $80
8th place: pengwin402 (Canada) - 28 tournaments, 136 points = $60
9th place: Marysvk (Slovakia) - 26 tournaments, 124 points = $50
10th place: KOKIRITA (Argentina) - 30 tournaments, 123 points = $40

$5.50 League

The mid-month numbers showed annamfa working on first place with 110 points from her 15 tournaments, but sommerkind19 was close behind with 104 points for the same number of games. BubblesxoOo had 101 points, and pipilanstrun had 100. Ten days later, annamfa only extended her lead to 214 points, while sommerkind19 fell to sixth place and pipilanstrun was tied for tenth. CrazyKluv had moved into second with 180 points, and ElfinDance catapulted into the top ten to take third.

When the month was complete, annamfa of Hungary remained in the far-and-away lead, finishing with 31 tournaments and 233 corresponding points. ElfinDance of Estonia jumped into second place with 27 tournaments and 203 points, and Ukraine's vikulinka soared from tenth all the way to third with 202 points. CrazyKluv ended up in fourth, and sommerkind19 took eighth.

Hungary's player won the division, but Germany again had three players in the top 10. Thus, Germany had the most players on the top of the leaderboards cumulatively in all three divisions.

March Top 10:

1st place: annamfa (Hungary) - 31 tournaments, 233 points = $500
2nd place: ElfinDance (Estonia) - 27 tournaments, 203 points = $300
3rd place: vikulinka (Ukraine) - 31 tournaments, 202 points = $220
4th place: CrazyKluv (Belarus) - 30 tournaments, 195 points = $170
5th place: Stella796 (Germany) - 29 tournaments, 183 points = $150
6th place: zemlyanikasw (Russia) - 31 tournaments, 178 points = $140
7th place: CUTIE QUEEN (Greece) - 25 tournaments, 177 points = $130
8th place: sommerkind19 (Germany) - 31 tournaments, 173 points = $110
9th place: KKassiAA (Brazil) - 30 tournaments, 170 points = $90
10th place: Richstone78 (Germany) - 26 tournaments, 166 points = $50

Information about the PokerStars Women's Poker League is provided on the home page, and current league standings are listed on the rankings page.

Let's face it, Tuesday is normally kind of a boring day. It doesn't have all the drama and angst of a Monday, and certainly none of the anticipation of a Friday. It doesn't even have the distinction of being "hump day," if you want to call that a distinction. But now PokerStars offers something new and different to juice up the day, and it's just for women. It's the new Women's Tuesday tournament, beginning on March 27. The 6-Max No Limit Hold'em tournament offers a $1,000 guarantee and runs weekly at 15:00 ET. The direct buy-in is $11, but in order to make it easy for everyone to play, there are satellites running all week to qualify, starting as low as $1.10.

A $1K Tuesday Tournament is good, but not good enough for PokerStars. To make sure the Tuesday tournament has the same star power as the Women's Sunday, many of the PokerStars Team Pros have signed on to play. You will have the chance to mix it up with pros like Liv Boeree, Ana Marquez and others while you improve your skills and add lots of celebrity poker stories to your repertoire. And finally, to add even more excitement, PokerStars decided to add a special bonus for playing the kick-off tournament this Tuesday. All players who play in this week's inaugural tournament will receive a ticket to play in any PokerStars Women's Sunday $5.50 satellite. So who can beat a deal like that? Play with the pros in a new $1K tournament and get a free shot at the Women's Sunday as well!

Clear your calendars now to play in the Women's Tuesday tournament on March 27 and do your part to give Tuesdays a makeover. Help Tuesday become all it was meant to be by playing and winning the new Women's Tuesday.

For more information on times and other details, click Tourney/All in the PokerStars lobby. And for more details on this and other special promotions for women see the PokerStars Women Promotions page.

Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst didn't take long to rack up another live tournament victory in 2012. She took down a $5100 event at the LA Poker Classic (LAPC) for a $140,000 payday in what she called "one of the toughest fields I've ever played in." She followed that up with a 2nd place finish in the LAPC $5100 heads-up event. These top finishes added even more stellar performances to Selbst's resume and Hendon Mob profile, as well as propelling her to a top five ranking for the first time in the Global Poker Index (on the week of March 5).

But how does an elite player like Selbst, who has the bankroll and freedom to play in pretty much any event she would like to, choose between an ever-crowded tournament calendar that often pits one enticing event against another? Vanessa told Pokerstars Women that she plays "whatever I'm in the mood to play and makes sense geographically. I'm not a crazy grinder so I take a lot of time off for sightseeing and relaxing, and I just play when I feel like playing. I think that helps me stay sane and focused--if I come out to play it's because I want to be there. This year has been influenced by the fact that my girlfriend is traveling with me to see the world, so we're trying to go to the most interesting and fun places--hence the upcoming trip to Vienna, Berlin, and of course Monaco (for the PokerStars European Poker Tour Grand Finale)."
Selbst's fans often wonder if she'll pop up at high buy-in events such as this year's Super-High Roller at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, with its $100,000 entry fee. Selbst said she would rather play in a large field with more amateurs than a small, elite tournament: "I'm basically a bankroll nit, and I don't love variance. While the high rollers are fun because they're a much greater challenge and you can hit a big score, I think they're fun to play on occasion only. The key to a successful career is about finding the best value whenever I can."

The largest buy-in poker tournament of all-time is coming up at the 2012 World Series of Poker, the Million Dollar One Drop tournament. However, Vanessa is still weighing her options. "I'm still on the fence about playing it--it's really about whether I'm going to be able to raise the money, and I haven't actually started trying." Vanessa added that she was glad to be asked about it because of some controversy over her remarks. "I was misquoted and have been hearing a lot of backlash about how people thought I made disparaging comments about the event. Personally, I don't think it should be a regular bracelet event, but I think the event is a great idea in creating a lot of buzz and generating lots of money for a great charity."

Selbst's determination to play in events where she has the biggest edge possible is a good lesson for all grinders. We can be sure that whatever events she ends up playing, whether among thousands or an elite few tables at the One Drop, she'll be making a splash.

To join Vanessa in Monaco for the PokerStars Women Live event at the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino European Poker Tour Grand Final (April 29-May 2), qualify via satellite for the €215 tournament (Sundays at 15:00) with a €2,500 package guaranteed. See the PokerStars Women site for all the details on the upcoming tournament.

International Women's Day was established in 1911, and is a national holiday in 25 countries. March 8 is observed as the day to celebrate the achievements of women worldwide, and in the United States, the entire month of March is designated Women's History Month. In honor of the annual event, PokerStars would like to honor women who have defied stereotypes and broken barriers to make their mark in the world of poker.

Women have been playing and winning at poker at least since the mid-1800s when Alice Ivers, or Poker Alice as she was known, gambled her way across the West, taking money from men at each stop. She supported herself playing poker and was reported to have won as much as $6,000 in one night. However, since the majority of poker playing in those days was done in saloons, most women who had a reputation to preserve steered clear of them if they could. But that didn't mean they didn't play--they just did it with friends and family in the privacy of their own homes. And many decades later, that's how I learned to play, starting at around the age of five. I used to "sit in" (on my grandfather's knee) at the family poker games and tell him what to do when he showed me his cards. Usually he followed my advice (or at least pretended to) and if he won he would slip me some of the change from the pot when my mother's back was turned.

Those games are some of the fondest memories of my childhood because they gave me an opportunity to see my mother and aunt interacting with the men in the family in a different way, a way that I liked but didn't really understand. My mother, who normally shunned the spotlight and preferred to hide in the kitchen or in a quiet corner of her garden, would turn into an entirely different person during these games. She and my aunt, both Southern Baptists to the core, would laugh and joke with the men while nursing a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other, all the while raking in the chips. Their laughter would go on into the early hours of the morning when they all finally called it a night, and then if it was a holiday weekend it would start all over again the following evening.

On those rare occasions, everyone was equal and having a good time, and for a little while at least, my mother wasn't worrying about how to pay the rent that month. She was a woman who smiled and laughed and had fun. She was a woman who spoke her mind and played her hand as she saw fit, and made apologies to no one for it. She was a winner, and equal to the men around her.

This is the element of poker that appealed to me from the beginning--the frightening but intoxicating idea of matching wits against men on what was most certainly at that time, their turf--and coming out of it if not a winner, at least knowing I played my cards right.

And I did win a lot of those times, but I had my share of humiliation too as the male players would sometimes smirk and make comments about how I "should" have played. This was the love/hate part of the poker experience that was so difficult for me in the beginning and is still a huge stumbling block for a lot of female players. It's very intimidating to walk into that poker room the first time, often as the only woman at the table, and to sit down to play when you're unfamiliar with how everything works.

But online poker, and PokerStars in particular, has made tremendous strides in changing that. Online poker has allowed women to enter the game in record numbers, with the latest research indicating that as many as 30-40 percent of online cash players are women. In addition to offering online games that make it much less stressful to learn the game and to compete against men, PokerStars was the first major online site to offer a women's community with special online tournaments for women, luxurious live events in locations around the world, and over 200 articles and videos to help acquaint women with the nuances of the game.

Over the last 18 months, PokerStars Women has offered over 50,000 women the opportunity to win a seat to play in tournaments in London, Madrid, the Bahamas, and Monte Carlo. Over 600 women won seats to play in eight live tournaments and cashed for over $375,000. Additionally, thousands of women play weekly in special tournaments and leagues designated for women.

In the last two years women have brought home trophies from several major events and Vanessa Selbst (Team PokerStars Pro) has shattered expectations by winning back-to-back championships at NAPT Mohegan Sun. She has garnered a cumulative $4,000,000 in lifetime earnings, and over $2,000,000 of it in one year (2010) while still in law school and taking time off to study for exams.

Poker has much to offer women and women have much to bring to the game. The next several years will be especially interesting to watch as they continue to break through barriers on their way to further success in the poker world. And every time they do, I'll be remembering my mom's laughter and her smile as she showed me what it was like to be a winner.

With three divisions in the Women's Poker League, players have more options than ever to compete at levels with which they are most comfortable. Some choose to play in two or three divisions, while others focus on one and improve their game as they go. Bankroll and game goals may be different for everyone, but all are striving to be at the top of their division and claim the cash prizes at stake for doing so.

What's at stake, exactly? In addition to pride and cash for the top 100 players in each of the three buy-in levels, there are tickets to the end-of-year $10K Grand Final. The top ten players in the $5.50 division each month receive seats, as do the top five in the $1.10 division and the winner of the $.10 division. With that in mind, let's take a look at the February results.

$.10 League

When we checked in on this division about three weeks into the month, Kaylanta and Karinylka were vying for the lead with only one point separating the two. Michael1920 was a close second, and pipilanstrun, dani_borko, and julianags were all within 12 points of the top spot.

One week later, slywon of Canada not only jumped into the top 10 but climbed into the chip lead to end the month with 133 points from 27 tournaments. Kaylanta of Canada was forced to accept second place with 131 points and 28 events, while Michael1920, also from Canada, stayed solid in third place with 121 points.

Notably, the top three finishers were all from Canada, while the Ukraine had two players in the top 10. None of the players in this list were in the top 10 last month.

February Top 10:

1st place: slywon (Canada) - 27 tournaments, 133 points = $100
2nd place: Kaylanta (Canada) - 28 tournaments, 131 points = $90
3rd place: Michael1920 (Canada) - 28 tournaments, 121 points = $80
4th place: Hannah100 (Germany) - 28 tournaments, 119 points = $70
5th place: julianags (Brazil) - 28 tournaments, 118 points = $55 (TIE)
5th place: sonya2012 (Ukraine) - 28 tournaments, 118 points = $55 (TIE)
7th place: september214 (Ukraine) - 23 tournaments, 116 points = $40
8th place: Karinylka (Russia) - 26 tournaments, 115 points = $30
9th place: 0kissmua0 (Poland) - 28 tournaments, 112 points = $17.50 (TIE)
9th place: pipilanstrun (Spain) - 25 tournaments, 112 points = $17.50 (TIE)

$1.10 League

Three weeks into February, it looked like maadcaroma was climbing fast with 114 points, though storczyk was coming up with 111 points and REBEKC with 110. Friben and deepad were the only other players with more than 100 points, but it was still anyone's race.

In only six days, things changed quickly as Friben of Brazil soared into first place with 169 points in a total of 27 tournaments. Joy7108 of Canada came from below the top 10 to take second place with 135 points, and storczyk of Poland fell only one spot to finish in third place with 131 points.

It should be mentioned that storczyk was the only player to finish in the top 10 two months in a row, as she took eighth in this division last month. Also, with Brazil taking the win here, Canada only had two players in the top 10.

February Top 10:

1st place: Friben (Brazil) - 27 tournaments, 169 points = $250
2nd place: joy7108 (Canada) - 26 tournaments, 135 points = $170
3rd place: storczyk (Poland) - 28 tournaments, 131 points = $140
4th place: annamfa (Hungary) - 25 tournaments, 126 points = $120 (TIE)
4th place: jrfield (Canada) - 22 tournaments, 126 points = $100 (TIE)
6th place: maadcaroma (Portugal) - 28 tournaments, 125 points = $90
7th place: REBEKC (Mexico) - 28 tournaments, 121 points = $80
8th place: Aussteiger13 (Germany) - 23 tournaments, 119 points = $65 (TIE)
8th place: babkatlapka (Czech Republic) - 28 tournaments, 119 points = $50 (TIE)
10th place: deepad (Mauritius) - 26 tournaments, 118 points = $32.50

$5.50 League

By February 23, this league was heating up faster than it did in January. VixXxen_FTW was off to a great start with 156 points in 20 tournaments, and winter7 was gaining ground with 146 points. Demi ces, a familiar name in the WPL, was in third place with 138 points, but only one point behind was Prospero2, and benaphi completed out the top five.

When play concluded on the 29th, VixXxen_FTW of Spain showed her ability to stay on top, finishing with 195 points from 26 tournaments. Russia's winter7 stayed in second place and ended with 179 points, while Ukraine's Ccaroll soared into third for a tie with Demi ces of Canada, both with 178 points.

Two of the players from this division finished in the top 10 two months running, as Propero2 finished sixth this month after third place in January, and Alice4win took sixth last month and seventh in February. Canada and Russia dominated this month, each with two players representing their countries in the top ranks.

February Top 10:

1st place: VixXen_FTW (Spain) - 26 tournaments, 195 points = $500
2nd place: winter7 (Russia) - 28 tournaments, 179 points = $300
3rd place: Ccaroll (Ukraine) - 28 tournaments, 178 points = $195 (TIE)
3rd place: Demi ces (Canada) - 26 tournaments, 178 points = $195 (TIE)
5th place: Vialet56 (Russia) - 21 tournaments, 158 points = $150
6th place: Prospero2 (Finland) - 28 tournaments, 157 points = $140
7th place: Alice4win (Peru) - 28 tournaments, 151 points = $130
8th place: mpmaniac (Canada) - 25 tournaments, 149 points = $110
9th place: MissManta (Netherlands) - 27 tournaments, 143 points = $90
10th place: agnvik (Lithuania) - 23 tournaments, 142 points = $40 (TIE)
10th place: rus028 (Russia) - 24 tournaments, 142 points = $40 (TIE)

Information about the PokerStars Women's Poker League is provided on the home page, and current league standings are listed on the rankings page.

When I think of Monte Carlo I think of Daniel Craig in that black tuxedo from Casino Royale. He looks so right sitting across from me at a poker table there. I think of glittering casinos and the rich and famous people who go there. I think of the fortunes won in the poker room and all of the decadent and luxurious trappings of wealth that come with them. In short, I think of one of the richest and most opulent cities in the world and as part of that fantasy I always think of a high stakes poker game where I am a central player. For me, unfortunately it's just part of a poker writer's fantasy. (We can dream, right?) But for many of you it will become a reality within the next couple of months as the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino European Poker Tour Grand Final returns to Monaco. The tournament to be held there this spring is as rich and glittering as the city itself and offers any kind of variation on the rich and famous fantasy you can dream up.

The PokerStars Women Live event will be held in Monte Carlo as part of the EPT Grand Final, and is scheduled for April 29-May 3. The tournament will take place at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and Casino and the package includes the €1000+100 buy-in, hotel accommodations for three nights, and €500 for expenses, for a package totaling €2500.
The PokerStars Women Live event will offer some of the best poker competition to be found anywhere with Team Pros and tournament regulars competing alongside satellite winners from around the world. Satellites will be starting soon so be sure to check the PokerStars Women home page for details as they become available. For more information see the PokerStars EPT Grand Final page.

On this day of cards, red roses, love poems, chocolates and glorious commercialism romance, PokerStars Women have been feeling particularly loved-up and happy. Inspired by the story of Liv Boeree and Kevin MacPhee's poker romance we asked women to write to us if they had a poker love story to share. We have been overwhelmed by the response, our PokerStars Women inbox is overflowing with joyful stories of weddings, new babies, and the most romantic way to play two three off suit. It seems that love is sometimes only a mouse-click away at a $0.10/$0.20 NL table.

Take 'ale2568', who was playing at PokerStars and saw some Spanish chat, joined in, and soon shared messenger details with her new friend. She started to spend hours with him playing at PokerStars, she says, "Now we chat regularly with a webcam, we know everything about each other, we laugh, fight, dream, and we fell in love." Ale2568 and her boyfriend may share a language, but they're not in the same country -- she lives in Argentina while he is based in France. She says, "Yesterday was his birthday, I made him a chocolate cake to share with him from a distance, one of those crazy things you do for love! We keep dreaming of our chance to meet in person. This is our love story, I am eternally grateful to PokerStars for this."

We heard many stories of love in faraway places, like gabitagus75 and her boyfriend who have been together since 2004. They both lived in Argentina but lived 300 km apart, so for years they could only ever see each other at weekends. To stay in touch they would meet every night at PokerStars tables. Gabrielle learned to play poker there, she tells us about her happy ending, "We had fun at PokerStars... our love was so strong but now we are married and live together in my city."

'Nanny Show' from Brazil says, "When I met my boyfriend he didn't tell me he was a poker fanatic." She said at first she was jealous of the time he spent playing poker. They are married now, and she suggests their happiness is in part due to PokerStars. She says, "He taught me poker, and I am better than him now, just don't tell him that!" She says poker has brought them together, and they enjoyed sharing the game, also learning to respect each other's space.

Some of the emails made me wonder if we should introduce a range of baby clothing in PokerStars VIP Store. 'Bibimar2003' tells us she was living in Columbia when she got chatting to her future husband at a PokerStars table, he lived in the US at the time but they arranged to meet. They're now happily married, and he's moved to Colombia to be with her. She says, "We play together happily all the time, I'm pregnant and having a baby - all thanks to PokerStars."

Here's a photo of happy PokerStars couple, 'Elizavillain' and 'heltrskeltr'. She tells us, "Poker has made us sooo much closer! The picture is of us rolling in our money on our first day in Vegas.... We didn't win at all. We made $3." I get the impression they had fun despite the lack of bankroll.

Sometimes poker love can bring money too - as in CoolestWitch's case. She says,
"When my husband first started to talk to me about poker hands, I said, 'you must be confusing me with someone who is interested in poker.' Then we went on a holiday and we were bored on the plane so he taught me the rules. We ended up playing together, and soon I started to learn strategy. My husband taught me how to play, and I ended up being the professional, not him! We try not to play poker against each other, because we are both very competitive and it never ends well!"

I wish I could share more of the great stories we received, thank you to everybody who wrote in and proved there is a lot of love to be found at PokerStars tables. If you haven't found 'the one' yet or are not enjoying Valentines, you may want to log in to PokerStars today - you never know what might happen.

I'll let 'SORJUANA5730' have the last word on PokerStars love.

"I write these lines full of the love I feel for you, for me you are very important in my life, you're part of it. When I work hard, I'm tired, stressed, or sometimes sad, sometimes frustrated things didn't go the way I please, I put on pyjamas get a cup of hot tea, or milk and cookies, I'm comfortable and enjoy you. You're on my computer always waiting, I am fully convinced that I love you... I love you as my favorite game, today and forever, PokerStars.

If you have a poker love story I hope you'll share it in the comments below. Happy Valentines Day!