In the mid 1980’s, women were considered no factor in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, and other than the famous rounder and professional gambler Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston, poker players rarely made headlines in the mainstream press. That all changed when Wendeen Eolis became the first woman to cash at poker’s “Big Dance.”
In the 1986 WSOP Main Event, Eolis battled some of the best players in the world, including Amarillo Slim, in a field of 141 runners. She was on her way to a 25th-place finish for a $10,000, return on her buy-in, and permanent bragging rights as the first woman in history to cash in the WSOP Main Event.
Eolis attributes her 1986 WSOP performance to a year of poker tutoring from one of the best, a “relatively” conservative game plan, and cooperative cards. She told PokerNews, “Even today, women can win more by bluffing less than men.”
flop. 
brought some flush outs for the button, but the 
bricked off on the river and Klein padded his stack some more.
and a player shoved for 4,700. 
was no help and the short stack doubled.
, James Woods pushed forward his remaining 14,100 but found no takers as he dragged the pot. 
for top pair and open-ended straight draw. He's sitting just over his starting stack.
flop. The action checked to the button, who shoved for 16,600. 
