Grande Dame of Poker
Wendeen sidled up to her first high-stakes poker game as a lark, at the newly created game at the fabled Mayfair Club in New York City. She took down a monster pot amid gasps from pros who saw her as nothing but a minnow in shark-infested waters.
A year later, Wendeen was the first woman in poker history to earn a piece of the purse at the WSOP Main Event. She earned even more in a side bet with Terry Rogers, a famous oddsmaker, at the WSOP who had predicted, confidently that it was a lot more likely that she would bomb than cash out.
Recognized as the Grande Dame of Poker by World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, in 2007, Wendeen Eolis had proven her mettle in the toughest poker competitions in the world. She was the first woman to cash in the Main Event of the WSOP and the first woman to do so twice. She has cashed in the WSOP seven times.
Wendeen has also been an outspoken industry leader. She served on the WSOP Players Advisory Council for its full five year duration and chaired the International Council at the invitation of Caesars served as Chairman of the Executive Committee for two years and was elected President and Chair of the World Poker Association, before leaving to work on a presidential election.
She was responsible for the groundbreaking World Poker Association/ WSOP partnered event (2008) and selected as the keynote speaker at the WSOP Ladies Championship Event, on the 30th anniversary of her first historic performance. On multiple occasions she has done the honors of the official "Shuffle Up and Deal" command at WSOP championship events.
The Lady is a Player!
Wendeen is a recipient of a commemorative chip issued by the WSOP in her honor for women's milestones. The moniker “Grand Dame of Poker, was conferred following the 20th anniversary of her historic first cash for a woman on poker’s biggest stage and following her distinguished experience as a player, commentator, industry activist, investigative journalist in the business of poker, and as a speaker at the WSOP.
Wendeen has demonstrated passion and staying power in the game. She snagged a seat in the Grand Prix of Poker Invitational in 1987 and the WPT televised Ladies Night 2, event in 2004, and then for all of the events in the Inaugural Professional Poker Tour — the only player both sponsored by management and elected by peers.
Power Poker Player
- WSOP Main Event cash (1986)
- Hall of Fame Final Table 6th place (1988)
- Winner, 1st place European Open (1990)
- WSOP Main Event Cash (1993)
- WPT-Placed as Last Woman Standing (2003)
- Winner, 1st place High Stakes Invitational (2000)
- WPT Bellagio 5 Diamond Cash (2003)
- WPT Professional Poker Tour (2004)
- US Poker Championship Cash (2004)
- WSOP 5 additional No Limit Hold'em cashes (2003-2009)
- Last woman standing in the Inaugural WPT Grand Championship in 2002.
A passionate activist for good sportsmanship and an ambassador for the game and responsible gaming, Wendeen has been a leading force in the industry across many platforms: she has written hundreds of articles for gaming media, but from her perspective, her most potent contribution was her unyielding activism to stamp out smoking in leading public poker rooms and tournament competitions.
Writing to Raise Awareness of Issues
Wendeen was a pioneer in investigative journalism for poker trade publications. Her first such piece appeared in Poker Digest (2000). Since that time, she has published more than 100 articles - profiles, business articles and investigatory pieces. She has written cover stories and penetrating pieces for most of the major poker publications.
Notable Media Attention
She has been featured in various televised coverage of the WSOP (1986- 2016), the WPT Championship, Poker Royale, and most recently on Poker Night in America (2015, 2016, and 2017).
- Court TV (Commentator for 2-hour production)
- A & E Biography Closeup (Profiled by ABC Anchor Harry Smith)
- GQ Magazine (Profiled by Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame)
- New York Times Business & Metropolitan Sections (Profile Stories)
- LV Review Journal (Headline Story, 1986)
- ABC News-business feature story
- Poker Night in America, CBS Sports (2015, 2016, 2017)
- Celebrity Player WPT Ladies Night II Travel Channel
- Poker Royale, GSN, Masters vs Youngbloods - series runner-up.
- Sponsored for Elle Magazine Queens of Heart Team, WSOP
Groundbreaking Activist
Wendeen was recognized in the New Jersey Star Ledger as a significant force in persuading Donald Trump's Taj Mahal poker room in Atlantic City to become the first major card room to go non-smoking. She then continued to be part of a small team of leaders in advocating successfully for smoker bans in card rooms around the country, and even across the pond.
As the Chairman of the WSOP International Players Advisory Council, the CEO of the player-driven World Poker Association, and a journalist and speaker in the poker world, Wendeen has been a strong proponent of abuse-free conduct in poker competition.
Today her poker exploits are principally at charitable poker events, where she donates any winnings to charities associated with medical research and educational opportunities for children.
Unique Poker Personality
Wendeen frequently breaks new ground, not only at the poker tables, and as an industry leader but also as a print and broadcast journalist.
- First female poker player to commentate for WSOP (ESPN, 1987).
- Director/anchor of the first live poker tournament podcast (USPC, 1999).
- Co-anchor of filmed TOC, a pilot for the WPT (2001).
- Last woman standing in the WPT inaugural championship. (2003).
- Celebrity Player WPT Ladies Night II Travel Channel (2004).
- WPT Inaugural Professional Poker Tour-elected and sponsored (2004).
- Internet broadcast, last WSOP event (Binion's Horseshoe, 2005)/
- Poker Royale Invitational GSN TV points leader (2005).
- Poker Night in America Invitational CBS Sports Network (2015, 2016, 2017).
- Sponsored for Queens of Heart team at the WSOP.