Lin has an unwavering dedication to the game and a fierce competitiveness that has earned her respect and a bevy of results at the table. Back in her home city of Macau, the Vegas of the East, is where her presence is most felt. She gives us an insider's look into what makes Macau so magical and why she loves to call it home.

What's your favourite thing about living in Macau?
The city offers all that is glamorous, but at the same all the cultural and historic landmarks are also amazing to check out. It offers the best of both worlds!

Authentic Macanese experience?
Lining up for some delicious pork chop buns if you get a chance, they come straight out of the oven at 3pm sharp. Don't be surprised if you see hundreds of people lining up for it.

Favourite thing to do away from the felt?
Food! There are so many amazing types of cuisine in Macau from all over the world, all made with the freshest ingredients and by the best chefs in the world.

Hidden favourite restaurants?
That's a secret! OK, I'll share one, but the others you just have to come and experience for yourself! Fernando's on Black Sand Beach offers some of the best Portuguese cuisine in Macau--very hearty meals.

Where should the ladies go to hit up a good cocktail lounge?
There are a few lounges that offer great live music with a friendly atmosphere such as Lion's Bar at MGM and the Bellini Bar at Venetian.

Best Portuguese Egg Tarts?
Right across the road from Grand Lisboa where the APPT is held, called Margaret's Egg Tarts.

Any good tips for shopping?
New road is a great place for the local stores. The Venetian with endless brand name stores is there for self-indulgence.

Are there many women playing poker in Macau?
There are actually a lot of female players in Macau now, and Asia in general. A lot of them started as dealers in Maid casinos in Japan, or girlfriends of poker players. They are playing well and learning the game very quickly.

Best place for a pampering and/or hair wash and blow dry?
I go to a place in Zhuhai across the border which is worth checking out if you have a day to spare, I got mine done for $1.50 USD! But there is a beauty street just behind Grand Lisboa that offer a wash and blow dry for about $10 USD.

PokerStars APPT Macau marks the peak of a strong fifth season of tournament poker in the region. The Main Event runs at Casino Grand Lisboa from November 23 through 27.

One of her goals then, as now, is to be a role model for other women hoping to get into the game. She achieved that distinction when she became the first female winner of the Macau Cup at the Red Dragon Event in 2009. She came in second in the same event in 2008, but came back a year later for the win. She has also had final table finishes in Australia at the ANZPT Sydney High Roller where she finished third, and the ANZPT Adelaide Main Event, finishing seventh.

Originally from Shanghai, Celina divides her time between Melbourne and Macau, where she has been a fixture in tournaments there since her live poker tournament debut in 2007. She finished 24th at the APPT Macau Main Event that year and in the years since has established herself as one of the tour's most feared players. Celina says that when she has some down time from the tables, she relaxes by doing yoga and Pilates. She also enjoys watching movies and spending time with friends and family.

You may hear more about Celina this Saturday, October 15 when the $1,000 Ladies Event takes place at the Macau Poker Cup Championship. For more information on the MPCC see PokerStarsMacau.com.

And for more information on Celina, see her full bio at PokerStars Women.

Celina went to MacRobertson Girls High School and at night often played Monopoly, chess and Big 2. She loved Heroes of Might, Magic, and Warcraft when it came to video games. She then enrolled in Melbourne University, which is a top ranked school in Victoria, as was her high school. Although she says, "I found university demanded too many contact hours and the work wasn't practical enough to maintain my interest for long."

One day in 2004, she visited the prestigious Crown Casino in Melbourne. "I was just passing, and was flagged down by a friend to try out poker. That night I had no idea what I was doing, and somehow the players on my table couldn't figure me out, so I won a lot that night. I started to research and read as much as I could on the topic, and within three weeks I managed to win $10,000 US and my bankroll started there. Three years later, I started to practice sit & gos and online tournaments on Pokerstars.net.

How did she manage to walk away with $10,000 in three weeks? "I was playing the 15/30 limit games, and most of the time it was shorthanded. I didn't realize how big the swings were in that game. Luckily the initial 600USD deposit was all I needed. I knew nothing about poker then, I would play literally any suited Ace and any pair, and ran very good!" (I'll say and I'll keep note of that!)

I asked her what her parents thought of her career move when she decided to play poker professionally. "My mum would always support me in whatever I chose to do, but mostly because I wouldn't tell her the whole story. When it came to poker, my dad had the most difficult time accepting my career choice. We spoke on the phone once and he said to me, "What do you think you are doing? Being a girl and choosing to play poker for the rest of your life?" Our conversation ended as I realized it was impossible trying to make them understand how poker is very different from games like blackjack and baccarat. Eventually after my commercials and magazine covers started appearing, he realized that it is a sport, and from then on, he would show all his friends my magazines and poker trophies."

Regarding her win of the Macau Cup, Celina says, "The feeling of accomplishing something you have worked years for is probably something most people will never forget. The adrenaline rush through my body right after the win barely allowed me to speak, smile, or keep my eyes open. The grueling four hour heads-up match really taught me never to lose sight of your goal."

So did she go wild on a shopping spree afterwards? Celina says, "I have always been a good saver, I saved up AUD 10,000 at the age of eighteen from $20 pocket money a week from doing chores and Chinese New Year lucky money. My poker winnings have definitely made my life very comfortable, but I am still saving up for assets such as a home and an investment portfolio. For me, I believe there's always a chance of a rainy day, and it's always better to start from something than nothing."

When not playing poker, Lin enjoys playing tennis and attending body combat classes. "It gives you a full high intensity body workout. As poker players, we have a lot of bad beats to get out of our systems. (One of her favorite movies is Fight Club.) Yoga and Pilates are great for those days I want to rest, and it offers great toning/ slimming effects."
When touring on the circuit she says she sees them as vacations instead of work and tries to just relax and enjoys soaking in the different cultures and landmarks.

Asking whether she travels with a boyfriend, Lin says, "I have dated almost non-stop for about ten years of my life, I am taking a break from it. Boys are trouble, especially when I am working so much and traveling every few weeks. When I eventually find that lucky person, I imagine him to be a great son to his parents, a great brother to his siblings, and a great friend to those around him. As one gets older and hopefully wiser in this case, you look for different things. Things like looks, height, money seem trivial."

Lin laughs when I ask about where she lives. "I live in hotel rooms! I do rent an apartment in Macau, but with the lack of space, not many people have houses, gardens, and pools. When I am in Melbourne I stay at my parents' house and spend as much time with my family as I can."

Celina likes to cook and she's no stranger to the kitchen. "I do a great chicken mushroom basil gnocchi. The best dish I cook is Peking duck from scratch, I prepare the duck overnight and make my own pancakes for the wraps!"

I ask her what it is about Australia that keeps drawing her back. "Australia is one of those places that offers everything and anything you are looking for," says Lin. "I love the busy fast lifestyle of inner city living to the quiet tranquility of the suburbs. Melbourne especially is one of the friendliest cities you will ever find in the world."

At the tables, you can sometimes find Celina with her headset on. "I occasionally listen to music while I play, especially when the day is long and I am feeling restless. Music by Fort Minor, Coldplay and John Legend are some of my favorites to get me in the zone."

She prefers not wearing "sunnies" as the sunglasses get in the way of letting her see the cards. He best friends on the tour are Bryan Huang and Raymond Wu. "They are like brothers to me. We do a lot of traveling together, so all those experiences bring us very close together."

And one final question--Who is the one celebrity she would most like to meet, I asked. "Julie Andrews, I grew up loving her films and I could almost recite every line," says Lin.

"Her ups and downs in the entertainment industry are always inspirational. Her greatest disappointment came later in life when she eventually lost her biggest asset, her voice, after throat surgery. The ability to understand and accept circumstances and adjust accordingly keeps me working hard through whatever life may bring."

In the end, Celina says, "I feel very fortunate to get the chance to travel around the world and play the world circuit of poker tournaments."

In the past we have seen many champions like 'Jovial Gent' arise from such series, and become overnight idols on the virtual felt. The WCOOP offers tournaments from 6 max, high rollers, shoot out to turbos, and guaranteed prize pool of $300,000 to $10 Million.

Most poker players nowadays are pretty used to tournament structures, blind levels and antes. The strategy for multi-table tournaments differs depending on your opponents. If your table is limping a lot, you might want to adopt a more aggressive play and isolate pots where you can get it heads up. If players are relatively tight on your table, you might want to see cheap flops and try to set mine and bust players with over pairs.

When the blinds and antes get high, pick your spots to steal blinds constantly, keep putting pressure on short stacks and try a squeeze play if the situation is appropriate. A lucky few may find themselves in short-handed situations on the final table and maybe even heads up play. Most tournament players lack in short-handed and heads-up play because it doesn't happen very often.

WCOOP 2010 will offer everyone a great chance to brush up on multi-table tournament skills, win big and play with Team PokerStars Pros from all over the world. I wish you all the best of luck and may the best win! See you all on the virtual felt.