Only once in the history of the World Series of Poker Main Event has a woman made the final table. It happened 17 years ago in 1995, when Poker Hall of Famer Barbara Enright turned in a fifth place finish. Flash forward to 2012, when Norway’s Elisabeth Hilleand France’s Gaelle Baumann (pictured) have a chance to become the first female tandem ever to make the final table of the WSOP Main Event.

Hille and Baumann have already made history, however, even if they bust out well before the final table. According to WSOP officials, 2012 marks the first time since 2000 that two women have made the final 27 of the Main Event. That year, Kathy Liebert took 17th in the $10,000 buy-in tournament, while Annie Duke bubbled the final table in 10th.

A woman has cracked the top 50 four out of the last five years, with 2011’s last woman standing, Erika Moutinho, finished in 29th place. Duke was the last woman standing in 2000 and 2003, and who could forget “Amazing Race” teammates Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho being the last women standing in 2008, and 2007, respectively?

Between 1970, the first year of the WSOP, and 1985, no woman cashed in the Main Event. Wendeen Eolis bucked that trend in 1986 with a 25th place finish. Then, no woman cashed between 1987 and 1992 in poker’s most prestigious tournament. Besides 2001 and 2002, a woman has cashed in every Main Event since 1993.

Hille (pictured) continued her assault on the Main Event field early on the 2011 WSOP October Nine play down day by taking down a pot worth 250,000 in chips with a baby flush against chip leader Marc Ladouceur.

She’s up to 9.35 million at the time of writing, while Ladouceur, who entered Day 7 with a commanding chip lead, is still comfortably at 15.1 million.

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