Dario Minieri - Poker's Italian Stallion

Yes Ladies, we should be swooning - it's nice when eye candy sits across us at the poker table hu?

Dario Minieri -

A young poker talent who has made waves as he has translated his online poker success into live action tournament final tables. This talented young poker player has made appearances in the World Series of Poker, cashing in every event he's participated. His highest WSOP achievement was placing 27th in event 8 of the 2007 series. However, his biggest cash came in event 55 of the same year, placing 96th and cashing in for more than 67 thousand dollars.

Last year as a member of Team Poker Stars, Dario cashed 5 times contributing the most significant part of Italy's representative 133,900 plus, bringing the country a solid foothold in the world of competitive poker.

Lets be honest about this 20 something poker player. He will draw in railbirds for many reasons. Talent, poker strategy, and his undeniably incredible Mediterranean good looks.

He has been elected as the first Poker Hunk in our new weekly feature -- got a hunk to nominate? He needs to be a poker player, and of legal age with at least one thing to separate him from the crowd - yes good looks are a must !

Poker is not just for men anymore

In a field dominated by incredible poker players, men hold a place in the competitive history that is only now being challenged by women on a large scale. The World Series of Poker 2007 proved that women are going full steam ahead into the tough ranks of competitive poker.

There have been many women over the years to make a lasting impression, but none as much as the first lady of poker Annie Duke. She has held many positions as a professional poker player. She is a World Series of Poker Bracelet holder. She is an incredible spokes woman for the Poker Players Alliance, as well as an educator of Poker Technique for the World Series of Poker Circuit lessons. Her incredible talent has been evident as she consistently cashes in nearly every event she enters, and still finds time to spend with her family. The fact that she is able to do this shows that she is a real spirited player, one who you don't want to play against across the poker table, unless you have some money to lose.

Katja Thater, another incredible poker woman, made headlines when she won the Open RAZZ event in the World Series of Poker 2007. She already had a number of cashes in the World Series of Poker, even finishing 3rd in a separate event last year. When she made the final table at the RAZZ open event, she maintained a steady pace, and a focus that no one else was able to maintain for that length of time. Because of her incredible skill and impressive poker talent, Katja Thater became only the second woman to win a bracelet from an Open Event during the World Series of Poker.

Then the most notable woman of poker for 2007 made waves that started in London and swept the globe faster than wild fires burning during a drought. Annette Oberstrad, aka Annette_15 brought home to Norway the first World Series of Poker Europe bracelet. Taking with her the respect of the poker world, and proving that women are here to stay. She is holding her solid place in history as the youngest bracelet holder in the history of the World Series of Poker, as well as the third women to ever win an Open Event of the same. This is only part of her impressive stand, adding to her place in history, something that will not be broken in the United States live poker events, she is the youngest World Series of Poker Bracelet winner.

These three notable women are not the only ones to be making headlines in the Poker world, just the three to be shouting from the roof tops as part of 2007. Look out boys, we're here to stay!