The 2009 Foxwoods Poker Classic $10,000 no-limit championship was a showdown between Vadim Trincher of Cliffside Park, NJ and Amnon Filippi of New York City, who battled it out heads-up for more than two hours. In the end, Trincher captured the 2009 championship, winning $731,079, the championship trophy, a commemorative leather jacket, and a $25,500 seat to the World Poker Tour championship in Las Vegas.

Five players remained when the final table began:
SEAT 1: Lenny Cortellino . . . 1,175,000
SEAT 2: Matthew Casterella 1,808,000
SEAT 3: Alex Perelberg . . . . . 200,000

Welcome to the first of what I hope to be many of the Nose Bleed Updates, where I'll discuss different aspects of the biggest online action. Despite all of the economic turmoil, high stakes cash games continue to flourish. Perhaps the average poker player feels the crunch, but the premier pros in the world seem to be oblivious to any financial plight.

I've just experienced the most extraordinary combination of hands at the poker table. I'm not sure what lesson this experience will impart. But I'm sure it will amuse you.

It started innocently enough. I was at Foxwoods, as I often am, playing $20 - $40 stud. I had been playing for a few hours and was stuck about $500. I recently moved to a new table and was still figuring out my opponents. An aggressive and experienced player-the type that flicks in his bet expertly-sat down opposite me.

Oklahoma-Cherokee Casino, clearly a leader on the national poker tournament scene recently hosted another successful annual Ozark Poker Championship event at the new, expanded West Siloam Springs location. Still to come this spring, the much anticipated Mid-South Poker Classic, scheduled to take place from May 7-18 at Cherokee's Tulsa location, with registration beginning on April 1.

Do you want to bluff successfully? Then don't hesitate when doing so! That's right, be quick, be confident. Hesitation instills doubt in your opponent's mind. He won't believe that you have a kick-butt hand. Swiftness and confidence when bluffing keeps opponents from becoming more suspicious than they naturally are, anyway.

The average poker IQ has increased substantially over the past few years. Players are more experienced and valuable information is readily accessible. Yet some players still haven't taken the time to know the basic numbers governing their variants of choice.

Twenty-three year old Samuel Chartier from Montreal, Quebec (Canada) defeated Toronto's John Nixon to win $322,944 in prize money by capturing the $5,000 buy-in championship event at Caesars Atlantic City-the seventh of ten World Series of Poker Circuit tournaments on the 2008-2009 season schedule.

The tournament attracted 208 entrants, generating a prize pool of $1,009,200 to be divided among the top 27 finishers.

In my last column, I gave you the first four of my top ten poker moments. Here are the remaining six...

Poker is really a game of decision making. From the very beginning of whether to go and play a game of poker, to which game to play when you get there, it is decisions, decisions, and more decisions. Once you decide which game to play and sit down at the table, it continues. Next, you have to decide whether to play the hand.

Hey, doesn't everyone want to get lucky? I know I do! Just to make sure we're all on the same page... I am talking about poker. You knew that, right? Would flopping a made hand qualify as getting lucky? Sure, but today let's talk about really getting lucky and recognizing it to take full advantage.